


Brighter

by stvbvcky



Category: Avengers (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drugs, Eventual Smut, First Time, Fluff, Group Home, M/M, Popular, Rich - Freeform, Smut, Stucky - Freeform, loser, stevebucky - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-06 09:23:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4216269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stvbvcky/pseuds/stvbvcky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>some people make your laugh a little louder,<br/>your smile a little brighter,<br/>and your life a little better</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hockey Puck

~~~~

            Steve’s room was small. He was lucky he got a room to himself though (and that’s only because everyone he’d ever shared a room with would leave him battered and bruised and do God knows what to him).

            The bed was in the corner. It was a tiny bed, and the mattress was shit and Steve could feel the springs inside of it when he lay down and he was always a little sore but he’d grown used to it. His blankets were old and worn out and had a few holes but it was nothing Steve couldn’t ignore. His dresser was old too, the paint on the wood was chipping away and there was a few dents along the dresser and most of the time when Steve pulled one of the drawers open it would fall to the floor or it would get stuck and he’d have to fiddle with it until he could get it to move again. There was a full length mirror that stood beside the dresser, and that was as old as the dresser and it had dirty marks along the glass that Steve couldn’t get rid of no matter how hard he scrubbed. He didn’t have a desk, just one of those folding trays that people use when they eat their dinner in front of the television in the living room. He kept it propped open beside his bed and he would use that as a makeshift desk because he wouldn’t dare ask anyone for an _actual_ desk with a nice little desk chair even though he’d love to have one.

            The walls were white and the floor was a dark brown wood and his walls were bare and his room had not even an inch of character to it. But he got his own room, and that was nice. But he didn’t have any friends, and that wasn’t so nice.

            He went to high school just like everyone else his age. He always sat in the back row in his classes and even though he knew the answer to every question his teacher’s asked, he wouldn’t raise his hand to answer. He never had to participate in gym due to his asthma- he got away with writing a ten page paper each quarter on various subjects that could be related to gym or health or something. So during gym, he’d sit on the bleachers with one of the school’s laptops resting on his lap and he’d save article links in the drafts of his email account and work a little bit on his paper in his flimsy binder that was starting to break.

            During gym this one guy (his name is James, Steve thinks) would lock his eyes onto Steve a whole lot and if Steve wasn’t so busy working on his paper he would’ve noticed and it probably would’ve made him uncomfortable- but he didn’t notice so he wasn’t uncomfortable, obviously.

            This one time during gym- the sport they were playing for the past few weeks was hockey- the puck got hit out of bounds, and it got hit hard and in the direction of Steve and it nailed him in the face. It startled Steve and it made him jump and the school’s laptop fell off of his lap and onto the bleachers and he almost fell backwards and he knocked his notebook over and it landed near his laptop and his pencil fell too and it just rolled away. “Shit!” was it James that yelled that? Yeah, it was James.

            James dropped the hockey stick he had been gripping and he ran toward the bleachers while the gym teacher blew the whistle that hung around his neck.

            “Hey! Hey, are you okay!?” James was shouting as he ran up the bleachers and toward Steve. He sat down beside him, practically throwing himself down onto the bench like seating of the bleachers, and he planted a hand on Steve’s shoulder and reached for Steve’s wrist (Steve’s hand was holding onto his nose and it was doing a shitty job at keeping the blood from running down Steve’s face and down his neck and onto his shirt). “Shit, did I break it? Did your nose break?”

            Steve didn’t even realize James had a hand on his shoulder and his fingers curled around his wrist. “I don’t… no, I don’t think so.” When Steve spoke blood slipped into his mouth and it tasted like a fucking penny.

            “BARNES!” the gym teacher yelled, looking at Steve and James in the bleachers. “GET ROGERS TO THE NURSE!”

            “Come on.” James pulled his hands from Steve and stood up quickly. He grabbed the laptop and closed it carefully and grabbed Steve’s binder and his backpack (that Steve kept planted behind himself) and slipped one of the straps over his shoulder. He grabbed the material of Steve’s shirt where it covered his shoulder and tugged him up, then he let him go and he walked ahead of Steve and he held the gym door open for him and his fingertips rested on Steve’s back as he guided him through the hallways and to the nurses office and if Steve wasn’t in pain and if his noise was pouring out blood like it was its duty in life, he might have had chills go up his spine at the simple touch of James’s fingertips pressing him lightly through the fabric of his shirt.

            When James and Steve walked into the nurses’ office, they were greeted with the warmest of smiles. James was in the nurses’ office way more than he needed to be (always faking sick and what not, and the nurses knew he was faking each time but he’d always bring them coffee the next morning as a thank you for letting him get away with it, so they just let it slide). “What is it today, Barnes?” one of the nurses asked. She was walking around her desk and over to James and Steve.

            “Bloody nose.” James shoved Steve toward the nurse. “My aim was off in gym hockey… puck flew into the bleachers and hit him in the face.”

            “Well that’s no way to treat someone as sweet as Rogers” the nurse teased as she pulled Steve’s hand from his face. “You’re bleeding pretty bad… did you feel anything break?” she was tugging Steve over to the sink against the wall now.

            “No.”

            “Well that’s good.” The nurse turned on the sink. She dipped Steve’s hand under the running water and grabbed a little hand towel from a little box on the counter next to the sink and she damped it up before she started wiping at the blood on Steve’s face (and the blood that trailed down his neck).

            James had put Steve’s things down on a round table in the middle of the office that was surrounded with a few chairs before taking a seat in that nurse’s desk chair (her name was Holly. Nurse Holly). James was comfortable with the nurses’, hell all of the ladies loved him and thought he was a sweet kid (even though whenever he was pretending to be sick it was so he could go home and get drunk or do drugs or something, and the nurses knew that because _everyone_ knows about James Barnes, but the nurses still thought he was a sweet kid because he _was_ a sweet kid).

            “So anything interesting happen today?” James asked as he picked up one of Holly’s pens and started doodling on a blank paper that was resting on her desk.

            “This is the most interesting thing that’s happened all day, and it’s not even _that_ interesting.”

            James chuckled. “Glad to be of service.”

            Holly rolled her eyes and when she finished wiping away the blood that was all over Steve’s lower half of his face and part of his neck, she grabbed a dry hand towel and pressed it against Steve’s nose and asked him to take a seat at one of those chairs at the round table and she told him not to move his ass from the chair until his nose had stopped bleeding.

            Holly swatted James from her chair after she grabbed Steve’s file from a filing cabinet and James rolled his eyes and sighed before dropping the pen he was holding and walking over to the round table. “Barnes, you can’t just leave doodles of pole dancers on my desk.” Holly said when she sat down. She held up the paper with James’s doodle, and Steve furrowed his eyebrows together when he looked at it and saw a _male_ pole dancer. There were always rumors about James, yeah, _but_ the rumors about him with girls definitely outweighed the ones about him with boys. It’s just a doodle, yeah? Doesn’t mean anything, yeah?

            James chuckled and Holly just stuffed the paper into a folder she kept on her desk that just so happened to be filled with every doodle James had ever drawn when he was sitting at her desk like he wasn’t supposed to be.

            “You okay?” James’s focus was on Steve now (Holly’s was on Steve’s _file_. She had to write down why he was here and what had happened).

            “You already asked that.” Steve’s voice sounded a little funny because he was squeezing his nose with that little hand towel.

            James half smiled and he bit back the little laugh that wanted to leave his lips at the sound of Steve’s voice because even though he sounded funny, he shouldn’t laugh because the kid has a fucking bloody nose because of him and James knows it must hurt like a bitch and that’s not funny. “Well I never got an answer outta you.” James poked at Steve’s arm.

            Steve let out a long sigh. “I’m fine.” He said. “You can go back to gym.”

            James looked at the clock, then back at Steve and shrugged. “No point.” He said. “Class is over soon, and I can be late to my next one if I’m here with you making sure you’re alright. It’s not right to hit a guy in the face with a puck then just leave him, is it?”

            Steve rolled his eyes, unsure what to say back. But if that little towel wasn’t hanging over his lips Bucky would’ve seen the little smile that was playing at them.

            “What were ya workin’ on?” James asked, grabbing the laptop and opening it up.

            “You know it’s rude to just start snooping through someone’s shit.”

            “Hey now,” James raised his hands in the air (like the way people do when they’re trying to talk a psycho out of shooting their brains out with a gun). “I’m just curious is all.”

            Steve rolled his eyes again. “I’m just saving links to help me on my paper.” James let his hands fall back onto the laptop and he opened the internet and started clicking through the tabs.

            “So why don’t ya do shit in gym? I mean _other_ than Googling shit for your paper.”

            “Asthma.” Steve said. “Too severe to actually let me do shit in gym, so I write a paper instead.”

            “I think I’d rather suffer through an asthma attack than write about this boring shit.” James was scanning over one of the articles on the laptop and his stupid little comment earned the tiniest little chuckle from Steve (and James probably would deny it if you asked him if he did it, but at the sound of that sweet little chuckle the corner of his lip just tugged up a little because he made the cute fella he always stared at in gym laugh just the teensiest bit).

            “I don’t know, I think I’d rather write a paper over feeling like my lungs are giving the middle finger and just quitting their job and leaving me to suffer.” Steve’s voice had this playful edge to it, so James knew if he laughed a little (which he did) it’d be okay and he wouldn’t look like a grade a dick (even though most of the time he _did_ look like a grade a dick, but that’s beside the point).

            And when Steve was positive his nose had stopped bleeding he pulled that blood soaked towel from his face and rinsed off his face with water again and he had to sign some slip Holly gave him and then Holly gave him (and James) both a nurses’ pass that would keep them from getting into trouble when they showed up late to class. And Holly told James not to hit any more nice boys in the face with a puck and Holly told Steve his nose might bruise up a little but it’d be fine because it’d make him look tough and Steve just rolled his eyes and went to grab his things off of the table but James already had his things and he was pulling the office door open and then Steve jogged over to him and, “I can carry my own things. I’m not a broken doll.”

            “I didn’t say you were a broken doll, did I? Where’re ya goin’?” James asked. “Lemme walk ya to class, it’s the least I could do.”

            “We’re already running late, and you’ve still got to change and get your shit from the gym. You don’t gotta walk me anywhere.”

            “You think I give a damn about being a little bit later to class?” James was looking at Steve with a raised eyebrow. “You don’t know shit about me, do ya?”

            “I know you almost broke my nose with a hockey puck.”

            “Hey, hey! That was an accident, honest.”

            “You sure? Maybe you were just tryna’ find a reason to snoop through that laptop.”

            James rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you caught me.” He said. “So where’re ya goin’?”

            Steve let out a sigh. “History.”

            James had walked Steve to his History class that day, and when he was giving Steve his things back he told him to call him “Bucky” when Steve said “Thanks, James” (he was thanking him for holding his stuff for him, not for hitting him in the face with a fucking hockey puck), and Bucky had been all “It’s Bucky, nobody actually calls me James, kid. Get with the times” (and he was just teasing him and Steve could tell because his voice sounded so nice and friendly and playful and he had this warm smile on his face and he planted a hand on Steve’s shoulder and shook him ever so slightly). And Bucky left with a “See ya in gym, maybe try not to attract a puck to your face next time.” And Steve rolled his eyes and then went into his class because he was late and he should be in that class sitting in a chair and not talking to Bucky.

            And when Steve got back to the group home he wasn’t surprised about the “kids at school finally tossing you the beating you deserve” that he got from one of the guys (he shared a room with him at one point, but you can guess how badly that turned out). Steve’s nose had already begun to bruise (and it’d look worse in the morning).

            But when Bucky got home he went up to his room with his friends after taking some alcohol from the kitchen because his mom wasn’t home and neither was his dad (but were they ever? Let me answer that for you- no). And when Bucky and his friends got to his room he made sure to kick the door shut and everyone kicked off their shoes and took off their jackets (their very light jackets because it was only September and they didn’t need anything heavy yet). And Bucky kicked off his pants and slipped into a pair of gym shorts and pulled off his shirt and he told his friends if they wanted to change they could grab whatever they wanted (and they all changed, even Natasha) and then Bucky had Tony grab the shot glasses from the bathroom connected to his room and soon everyone was taking shots and getting drunk and someone pulled out a pack of cigarettes and then they were on the balcony (also, like the bathroom, connected to Bucky’s room) and they were smoking on the balcony leaving ashes and cigarette butts in the potted plant that was right next to the door, because who fucking gives a shit anyway?

            And while Bucky and his friends were getting drunk and smoking cigarettes Steve was sitting in his room with his friend Sam (his _only_ friend, I might add). Sam was lying on Steve’s bed and Steve was sitting on the edge of the mattress leaning on that tray while he worked on his homework because he always did his homework as soon as he got back to the group home.

            Sam was older, he was a sophomore in college and he volunteered at the group home Steve stayed at and within his first week volunteering he saw a lot of Steve and he noticed he was always alone (and often bruised) and so he introduced himself and started coming by (when he wasn’t on volunteer duty) to hang out with Steve because Steve needed a friend and Sam didn’t mind being one.

            Steve told Sam about the hockey puck incident and Sam asked, “Was the guy at least cute?” (because yeah, Sam knows Steve is into fellas and he doesn’t even care and that’s really _really_ cool because a lot of guys at the group home care and it’s _shit_ for Steve).

            Steve shrugged. “I guess.”

            “You _guess_?”

            “Yeah, yeah he’s cute, big deal.”

            Sam had this smile on his face that would make Steve want to throw something at him if he could see it (but his eyes were glued to his homework so Sam was lucky). “He root for the same team?”

            Steve shrugged again. “I dunno, I think… like a little. There’s been talk here and there, but it might just be _talk_ and nothin’ serious.”

            And while Steve and Sam were talking about Bucky, Bucky was drunk sitting on his floor dragging a pencil across a piece of paper making some sloppy drunk doodle and he was telling his friends about the hockey puck incident. And Natasha was all, “Rogers? _Steve_ Rogers; that kid that can’t walk ten feet without collapsing because he’s having an asthma attack?” Because well, Steve was… Steve was _Steve Rogers,_ the kid with severe asthma that sat alone in the library during lunch and barely spoke and sported a lot of bruises (that _weren’t_ from hockey pucks) and his mom was some crazy drug addict (which is why Steve made his way to the group home, which sadly didn’t end up being much better than being home with his mom) and his dad was in jail (but nobody knows what for) and Steve wore cheap clothes and worn out sneakers that should’ve been tossed in the trash ages ago, and god why was he so fucking _skinny_?

            “He’s a cute fella” Bucky said.

            “So what, you wanna fuck him?” Natasha asked.

            Bucky shook his head and stopped doodling. “No, not fuck.” He said. “He’s real cute, Nat, maybe take him on a date or somethin’.”

            Bucky’s friends all widened their eyes and Thor (yeah, he has a friend named Thor because his parents are just _those kinds of parents_. Get over it) well, Thor was all, “You wanna _actually_ take someone on a date? A _real_ date?”

            And Bucky shrugged and was like, “Yeah.”

            And tony was all, “If he fucks him the kid might have an asthma attack, so a date’s the only option.” And then Bucky threw his pencil at Tony but he missed by a lot because he was drunk so his aim wasn’t at its best. But then Tony was all, “Hey, if you wanna take him on a date go ahead. It’s your choice.” And then all of his friends turned into sappy drunks for a second and they told Bucky they should take Steve on a date (even if it was Steve _Rogers_ they were talking about). And they told Bucky Steve hadda say yes, because there’s no fuckin’ way someone like _Steve_ would turn down someone like _Bucky_.

 

           


	2. Chapter 2

WRONG.

Someone like Steve turned down someone like Bucky.

Someone like _Steve_ turned down someone like _Bucky_ in the blink of a fucking eye.

“No thanks?” Bucky repeated Steve’s reply to his own “Yo, Rogers (runs over to Steve), I was thinkin’ about takin’ you out on a date. Whattya say?”

Steve was digging through his locker looking for a folder he couldn’t find, and that folder had a paper in it that was due first period but he realized in class he didn’t have the folder with him and his teacher told him he had until the end of the day to hand the paper in so he _had_ to fucking find that folder with the paper.

“What do ya mean, ‘no thanks’?”

“I mean,” Steve dropped a text book onto the floor, “I don’t wanna go on a date with you.”

“Why not? Was it somethin’ about the way I asked? Shit, is it because I hit you in the face with a hockey puck. Steve, I told ya that was an _accident_.”

Steve sighed and stopped digging through his locker for a second and he put all of his attention on Bucky. “Bucky, I’m kinda busy right now. I don’t have time for this.”

            Bucky sighed and Steve put his attention back into digging through his locker. “What’re ya lookin’ for?” Bucky asked.

            “A folder.”

            “What’s it look like?”

            “Like a folder. Look, Bucky, I gotta find this thing because it has my English paper in it and that paper is due today and I have to hand it in before the end of the day.” Steve was looking at Bucky again.

            “Did ya leave it at home?”

            Steve shook his head. “No, I don’t just leave things I need at home.”

            “Well maybe ya did this time.”

            “I didn’t.”

            “Are you sure? If it’s not in your backpack, and you can’t find it in your locker, maybe it’s at home.”

            Shit. Bucky had a point. Maybe Steve left it in his room. But how would he get it if he left it at home? It’s not like he drove, and it’s not like he could teleport himself home, and the walk to the group home was too long and the school day was almost over so he wouldn’t make it back here in time if he walked. Fuck. How would he even get out of the school? They wouldn’t let him leave.

            “Shit. I’m fucked.” Steve slammed his locker shut and let his head fall against the cold metal.

            “Whattaya mean? Just go home real quick and grab it.”

            Steve let out a sigh. “I can’t just go home.” He said. “I’ve got no way of gettin’ there, and I can’t get outta school.”

            Bucky didn’t drive (well, not currently. He got busted by the cops for drinkin’ and drivin’ and it’s not on his record or anything because his parents came to his rescue, but he’s not allowed to drive for a few months) but his friend Tony had a nice fucking car. Tony always skipped class anyway so Bucky kinda just, “My friend could give you a ride. Tony, you know Tony? Tony Stark?” Bucky grabbed Steve’s forearm and started tugging him through the hallway. “Come on, let’s find him. He’ll give you a ride, he won’t mind, and he won’t make you give him gas money or anythin’.”

            Tony _Stark_. Did Steve really want Bucky Barnes and Tony fucking Stark to see that shitty group home he lives at? Yeah, everyone _knows_ he lives there, but nobody’s actually seen it (except for those fellas that go to the same school as him and live there, too). But Steve _needed_ to get that paper in. He can’t fucking not hand a paper in.

            “Are… are you sure about this?” Steve asked when Bucky turned down a hallway where Tony was leaning against his locker and talking to Natasha and Thor.

            “Yeah, positive.” Bucky said. “Tony!” Bucky shouted. He let go of Steve to cup his hands around his lips to make his voice sound a little louder.

            Everyone in the hallway turned to look at Bucky, but nobody but his friends stared for more than a split second.

            “Tony, I need ya to give my friend here a ride.” Bucky and Steve were standing with Tony, Natasha, and Thor now and Bucky draped an arm around Steve and… and did he say Steve was his _friend_?

            “Where to?” Tony was already reaching into his pocket to grab his keys.

            “His place. He needs to grab a paper he left there.”

            “Alright, let’s go.” Well _that_ was easy. “I’ll catch you guys later” Tony said as he shoved at Bucky and Steve, leaving Natasha and Thor behind. Bucky didn’t notice the two of them shooting him _that_ look. That “you’d never do this for anyone else you just met a day ago” look, that “you’re just doin’ this because you think he’s a cutie” look.

            Steve followed Tony and Bucky to a hallway at the other end of the school that was empty besides the two bathrooms it contained. No teachers were ever there, and no security guards were ever there, so it was easy to sneak out the door at the very end of the hall that led you outside (it needed to be there in case there was a fire or somethin’).

            Steve wanted to “Guys, are you sure we can just leave like this?” and “Are you sure we ain’t gonna get caught?” and “Maybe I can just talk to my teacher and beg them to let me bring in the paper tomorrow” but he didn’t because he was with Tony fuckin’ Stark and Bucky fuckin’ Barnes.

            Bucky climbed into the passenger seat, Tony in the driver’s (obviously) and Steve planted himself in the back and set down his backpack on the floor between his feet. “Make a right out of the parking lot.” Steve said as Tony started the car.

            “I know where I’m goin’.” Tony said. “That place by Main Street, right?” Yeah, everyone knew where he lived, like literally knew _where_. They didn’t just know he was in a group home, they knew where it fucking _was_.

            “Yeah.” Steve sunk into the backseat and Tony started driving and Bucky turned up the radio and lit a cigarette and offered Steve one but Steve kindly turned it down (because of the asthma that Bucky forgot he had) and then Tony grabbed the pack of cigarettes from Bucky’s hand and took one and lit it real quick and the car ride was pretty quiet if you ignore the music and Tony rapping along to every song and Bucky constantly telling Tony he can’t rap and that he should just listen to the music instead of ruining every song (and that made Steve laugh a little which in return made Bucky smile a little and Tony could see that smile from the corner of his eye and he rolled his eyes so fucking hard because Bucky was diggin’ this guy and Tony wasn’t into relationships and shit so it was gross, ya know?).

            Steve’s stomach felt a little funny when Tony pulled up in front of the group home and he pushed open the back door and gave a quick “I’ll be right out” before hopping out of the car and practically _running_ into the building.

            And Tony, well _Tony_ … “Bucky… how’re you gonna take him on a date if you’re not allowed to drive?”

            Bucky wanted to say “I’m not, the kid turned me down. Shocker, right?” but he didn’t. Instead he said “I dunno, I’ll figure somethin’ out. Maybe rent a limo or somethin’.”

            “You can’t take this kid on a fuckin’ date and have him sit in the back seat of a _limo_. He practically lost his shit getting’ in _my_ car, he’ll fucking lose complete track of it if you rent a _limo_.”

            “Well, he wouldn’t hafta know I rented it. I could just say it’s my family’s.”

            “Bucky, a limo is not an option.”

            Bucky sighed and lit another cigarette and him and Tony just sat in silence (besides the music Tony surprisingly wasn’t singing along to) until Steve was back in the back seat of the car and Bucky asked “You find the paper?”

            And Tony pulled away from the curb and Steve smiled and held the folder up and shook it around a little. “Yeah, left it on my desk.” And by desk he definitely meant that folding tray beside his bed.

            “And to think, just a little bit ago you were tellin’ me how you don’t leave shit at home.”

            Steve rolled his eyes and the ride back to school wasn’t anything special and Tony dropped Bucky and Steve off in front of the school because he didn’t feel like going to any more classes today, and Bucky told him he’d call him up later and then he walked with Steve back to that door that was part of that little hallway and he picked the lock (because apparently he can fucking pick locks) and he walked inside with Steve and, “Are ya happy?”

            Steve nodded and, “Yeah. Thanks, you didn’t have to get me a ride.”

            Bucky shrugged. “It’s the least I could do considering I nailed you in the face with a hockey puck, or did you already forget?”

            “I thought the least you could do was walk me to class?” (remember when Bucky walked him to class yesterday? Wasn’t that sweet?) “And it’s not like I could forget, you left me with a pretty dark bruise on my fuckin’ nose.”

            Bucky chuckled. “I wasn’t gonna say anythin’ about it.”

            Steve rolled his eyes. “It looks horrible, I know.”

            “It looks like you got in a fight.”

            “A fight I _lost_ , maybe.”

            “No, you coulda won. The guy only got one bad hit in, and then ya beat him to a bloody pulp. Ya left him cryin’ for his mommy with a black eye that was swollen shut and he had a nasty cut in his lip and maybe a broken collar bone, too.”

            Steve chuckled and shook his head. “No way I could ever do that to someone.”

            “Not even if they came at ya tryin’ to kill ya?”

            “Not even then… I’d _want_ to do that to ‘em, but I _couldn’t_. I’d probably get an asthma attack tryna swing at his face.”

            Bucky chuckled. “Is it really that bad, your asthma?”

            Steve shrugged. “It can be. I dunno, it’s weird. Sometimes I’m fine and others I’m not. It’s pretty inconsistent.”

            “What a pain in the ass.”

            “You get used to it.” And then it was quiet for a little bit while they walked through the hallway that wasn’t buzzing with people anymore.

            And then it stopped being quiet when Bucky asked, “So why don’t ya wanna go on a date with me?” And Steve’s stomach felt strange and he stopped walking, so then Bucky stopped walking too, and his fingers gripped his folder real fuckin’ tightly as if it was their sole purpose in life.

            “Bucky… Bucky, I-“

            “Are ya not into guys? Fuck, you’re not into guys, are ya? Shit, Steve, I’m sorry.”

            Steve shook his head quickly. “No, no it’s not that I’m not… I’m into guys, but-“

            “Not into me? Not your type, am I? It’s alright Steve, I’m sorry.”

            “Bucky, it’s not… I don’t even have a type so it’s not that.”

            “Then what is it?”

            Steve pushed those few dangling strands of hair away from his forehead and sighed. “I… I haven’t… I’ve never… No one’s ever taken me out on a date.”

            “So?”

            “ _So_ I don’t know shit about going on a date.”

            How fucking _lame_ was Steve? Turning down _Bucky Barnes_ because he’d never been on a date and was clueless about all that kinda shit. How fucking _lame._ And now he was _telling_ Bucky he’d never bit on a date? What was wrong with him?

            “Steve,” there was warm little smile on Bucky’s face. “You don’t gotta know shit about going on a date. It’s not like there’s some study guide for it. You just gotta show up lookin’ nice and you have some awkward conversation for the first hour and it’s not even a big deal because dates are _supposed_ to be a little awkward at first. Ya just gotta show up, really. And ya gotta want to be there. Lemme take you on a date. Do you wanna go on a date with me? Would you wanna be on a date with me?”

            Something about the way Bucky spoke, he had this soft edge to his voice and his words fell from his lips so fuckin’ smoothly and Steve could listen to Bucky talk every second for the rest of his life and he’d never grow tired of hearing words fall from his lips. “I… Bucky…”

            “Steve, you don’t gotta say yes, but I want you too… if even just a little piece of you wants to go on a date with me, you should say yes.”

            “Where would we go? What would I hafta wear?”

            Bucky shrugged. “Where would you wanna go? Wanna see a movie, or grab somethin’ to eat? I’ll even walk around the mall with ya if that’s what ya wanna do.”

            Steve let out a sigh and shut his eyes for a moment and then they were open again and he was staring at Bucky and, “A movie sounds nice.”

            “What movie?”

            “You pick. Surprise me.”

            “So is that a yes? Is that you telling me you’ll go on a date with me?”

            Steve nodded and Bucky smiled and then, “I’ll get us a ride there, okay? I can’t drive right now but I’ll get us a ride there and a ride back. I’ll take care of everything, I’ll buy your ticket and if you want a soda and some popcorn or somethin’, I’ll buy it for ya. Okay?”

            Bucky managed to get Tony to agree be his taxi for the night by buying him a pack of cigarettes and giving him a bottle of liquor (that’s usually all it took to get Tony to do something for you). Tony picked Bucky up and then he picked Steve up and before Bucky and Steve hopped out of his car he told them not to do anything he wouldn’t do, and then Bucky said “You’d do anything and everything” and Tony shrugged and gave Bucky this _look_ before driving off.

            And Bucky got two tickets to some movie that would turn out to be really stupid (but that didn’t matter because he was on a date with Steve, so who gives a shit if the movie was stupid?) and he got a bottle of water for him and Steve to share and neither of them wanted anything else so they headed into the theater and sat in the very top row because Bucky _loved_ sitting in the top row of the theater for some reason.

            And maybe almost a half hour into the movie Bucky lifted the arm rest that was between them and he slipped his arm around Steve’s shoulders (and no, he didn’t do that fake ‘yawn and stretch’ thing some guys do to try and be sneaky about slipping their arm around their date) and at first Steve didn’t react to it, he just stayed still and kept his attention on the movie but it didn’t take long for him to sink into Bucky. It didn’t take long for him to inch himself just a _little bit_ closer to Bucky and that brought this _stupid_ smile onto Bucky’s face but Steve didn’t even know because he kept his eyes on the movie screen.

            And when Bucky and Steve realized the movie wasn’t ever going to get good, they shifted around their seats a little (Bucky’s arm stayed around Steve even when they shifted) and Bucky whispered “Sorry, I shoulda picked a better movie.”

            And then Steve whispered, “I get to pick the next one.”

            And then Bucky’s eyes widened and he smiled a big smile and he whispered, “So that means we’re gonna go on another date, yeah?”

            And then Steve realized what he said, and he realized he was comfortable with Bucky’s arm around him (even though he barely fuckin’ knew him) and he realized that yeah, he did want to go on another date with Bucky so, “Yeah. Next week.”

            And that smile stayed on Bucky’s face when he whispered, “I’ll buy Tony some more cigarettes and get him another bottle, then.”

            And Steve was all, “what?”

            And Bucky chuckled and, “The price to get him to be our ride was a new pack and a bottle of alcohol.”

            And Steve was like, “We could’ve walked.”

            And Bucky was, “I couldn’t risk you having an asthma attack on our first date.” And he chuckled, and Steve chuckled a little bit too but he still shoved Bucky a little and then Bucky kissed the top of Steve’s head without even realizing he was doing it and it made a buttery fly do a back flip in Steve’s stomach because _fuck_ , that was fucking adorable.

            And neither of them could tell you when they started kissing, or who initiated it, but that didn’t matter because they were those fucking teenagers people shit talk because they were making out in a movie theater instead of watching the movie.

            Bucky just sucked on Steve’s lower lip for a little, and Steve was a little nervous because he never actually kissed someone (by choice) before so he wasn’t exactly sure what to do but he pushed his nervous thoughts to the back of his head because _Bucky Barnes_ was currently sitting in the back of a movie theater with him sucking on his fucking lower lip.

            And when Steve’s mouth parted open a little bit he could feel the tiny smirk that crept onto Bucky’s face and then he was feeling the tip of Bucky’s tongue press against his own and he froze and he swore his heart was going to stop because _fuck. How the fuck do you make out? What are you supposed to do with your tongue? What the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuck?_

            And Bucky just moved his tongue around for a little but Steve stayed frozen so Bucky parted their lips and, “You alright?”

            “I…” Steve shut his eyes. “I don’t know how-“

            “Just move your tongue around. It ain’t rocket science, I promise.” And then Bucky pressed their lips together again and his tongue slipped back inside of Steve’s mouth and he mumbled “just move it around” against Steve’s lips so Steve did just that. Steve started moving his tongue around and it was a little chaotic so Bucky told him to just calm down and take it easy and slow down and Steve felt a little embarrassed so he pulled his lips from Bucky’s and then Bucky asked if he was alright (again) and Steve let out this long sigh and leaned back against the chair that he was now realizing was really uncomfortable.

            “I’m sorry.” Steve mumbled.

            Bucky sighed and leaned his head against Steve’s shoulder and, “Steve, there’s nothin’ to be sorry for.”

            And Steve stayed quiet for a little bit and then Bucky grabbed one of his hands and rubbed his thumb over the back of it and “I’d really like to kiss you again. Just go a little slower, it’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”

            And Steve stayed quiet for a little bit longer and then he shifted and he was all “Don’t tell everyone I’m a bad kisser.”

            And Bucky chuckled and was all, “You’re not a bad kisser, Steve. Just take it down a notch, we’re in public ya know.” And he flashed Steve this grin and Steve rolled his eyes and then their lips were against each other again and their tongues met again and this time Steve moved his tongue at the same pace as Bucky’s and you know what? It wasn’t half bad.

            And when the movie ended and people clapped (because yeah, those annoying people that clap when a movie ends were flooding this fucking town) and the lights turned on, Bucky and Steve pulled their lips apart and that’s when Bucky realized he had been cupping the side of Steve’s face, because he had to pull his hand away from him too.

            Bucky and Steve stood up and Bucky placed his fingertips on Steve’s lowered back and ushered him out of the theater while he called up Tony and told him to pick them up in maybe an hour-ish, and he told him he’d shoot him a text where him and Steve would be.

            “Why did you tell Tony to come in an hour?” It was weird. Steve being on a date with _Bucky Barnes_ was weird, and asking him about Tony coming in an hour was weird because Tony’s name coming from Steve’s mouth was weird because Tony was… Tony was _Tony Stark_ and Steve was Steve Rogers, the kid with severe asthma.

            “Because,” Bucky slipped an arm around Steve’s shoulders as they walked toward the exit of the building. “I wanna spend a little more time with ya. We didn’t really talk in there, in case you didn’t realize.”

            “Oh.” Steve sounded a little surprised (he _was_ a little surprise, well, more than a little), so Bucky asked him if hanging out for an extra hour was okay and Steve said, “Yeah, its fine.”

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah.”

            “You don’t sound sure. If you wanna go home, it’s fine. I’ll call Tony real quick.” Bucky was reaching into his pocket again to grab his phone.

            “Bucky, it’s fine.” Steve said. “Honest.”

            “You sound a little-“

            “I didn’t expect it.” They were walking out of the building now.

            “Didn’t expect what?”

            “You to wanna hang out after the movie.”

            “Why wouldn’t you expect that?”

            Steve shrugged. “Same reasons I didn’t expect you to ask me on a date.” Steve said. Bucky wanted to ask questions, but he didn’t.

            “So…” Bucky stopped walking (so Steve did too) and looked around the area. His eyes stopped on a little ice cream shop. “Do ya like ice cream?”

            Steve’s eyes moved around until they locked on the ice cream shop too. “You don’t have to get me ice cream.”

            “Steve, it’s not even five dollars. Come on.” Bucky started walking again and he let his arm fall from around Steve’s shoulders because now he wanted to hold his hand. And when he did (hold Steve’s hand) Steve didn’t protest because it felt _nice_.

            Bucky still held his hand in the ice cream shop. He held it while him and Steve read the looong list of ice cream flavors (out loud, I might add) and he held it when he paid the sweet cashier that had rosy cheeks and curly brown hair that was tied into a ponytail and tucked into a hat.

            “How long have you guys been datin’?” the brunette asked when she handed Bucky his change.

            “First date, actually.” Bucky dropped all of the change into the little tip jar on the counter and the girl smile at him before moving to get the boys their ice cream.

            “Well I’m honored you came to get somethin’ from here on your first date.” She giggled and Bucky smiled at Steve, and Steve’s face had gone completely red because he was embarrassed because he gets embarrassed so easily. And in that ice cream shop Steve realized people could actually _see_ that Bucky was on a date with him. Steve started thinking about who was at the movies, who could’ve seen them. Tony was their ride, so he knew, and Bucky’s other friends _obviously_ knew. Did any guys from the group home see him?

            Steve’s train of thought stopped when the girl handed Bucky and Steve their cones, and then they smiled at her and said goodbye and they were back outside and they were still holding hands while they ate their ice cream and made stupid comments about some of the weird clothes people were wearing. And it was nice; Steve felt nice being here with Bucky. He didn’t think a date with Bucky would’ve gone this way. He didn’t think he’d be sweet, and he didn’t think he’d be holding his hand but he _was_ sweet and he _is_ holding his hand, and it was _really fucking nice._

           

           

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what ya think! xx


	3. Chapter 3

            The second date was just like the first, except the movie Steve picked out was _definitely_ better than the one Bucky had picked out on their first date. Tony was their ride again, and this time Bucky got a soda for him and Steve to share (he let Steve pick out the soda, he chose cherry coke) and he got them a medium sized popcorn bag, too. The second they sat down (in the very top row, again) Bucky lifted the arm rest that was between them and he put the coke down in the cup holder attached to the arm rest on Steve’s other side and then he slipped his arm around Steve and he set the popcorn down between them, right on the barely there space between the cushions of the chairs they sat on.

            They picked at the popcorn but most of it went to waste, and they drank maybe half of the soda, and even though the movie was good they ended up making out for a decent portion of their time in that theater.

            This time, Steve wasn’t so nervous (he was a _little_ nervous, but not _so_ nervous) and this time Bucky cupped Steve’s face with _both_ of his hands and Steve curled his fingers around Bucky’s wrists and held onto them gently while their tongues pressed against each other and swirled around inside of Steve’s mouth.

            And when they both kinda knew it was time to pay attention to the movie again, they pulled their lips apart and Bucky pecked Steve’s lips real quick before they shifted their position in those uncomfortable chairs and Bucky had an arm draped around Steve again and Steve was leaning into Bucky and it was as nice as it was the first time.

            And when the movie ended they got some ice cream again and that same rosy cheeked brunette was working and she was real friendly with them and Bucky put all his change in her tip jar again. They walked around outside, just like last time, while they ate their ice cream and Bucky asked, “Do I get a third date?”

            Steve shrugged and said, “Do you _want_ a third date?”

            Bucky nodded. “Yeah, of course I do.” Steve smiled a dorky smile and he had no clue, but his cheeks started to turn pink (but Bucky didn’t even notice). “But I don’t wanna go to the movies again. Let me take you out to dinner.”

            Steve sighed and, “Nowhere really fancy.”

            “Deal.”

            And they finished their date and Tony picked them up and he dropped Steve off first, just like last time. And just like last time, Bucky hopped out of the car and walked Steve to the front door of the group home (and neither time did he try to go inside) and last time he planted a little kiss on Steve’s cheek before leaving but this time he planted a little kiss on his lips. He felt Steve smile and then he said, “See ya in school, Steve. We’ll figure something out for next weekend.”

            And then Bucky was back in Tony’s car and he started telling Tony about their date while Tony drove them to Natasha’s house because her parents were throwing a party with all of their big shot business friends and she _had_ to be there for it but she convinced her parents to let her invite some of her friends so she wouldn’t be _super_ fucking bored. Of course there was gonna be alcohol, so they would all end up wasted and passed out in Natasha’s room. Natasha and Clint would end up fucking in her bathroom (yeah, she has her own bathroom that’s attached to her bedroom, kinda like Bucky’s) and nobody would comment on them fucking because none of them did that kinda shit. And Natasha and Clint would fall asleep in her bed with their limbs tangled up together while Bucky would fall asleep on a beanie bag chair with a little blanket over himself and drool slipping from the corner of his lip. And Tony would fall asleep in Natasha’s desk chair, leaning back in it with his feet perked up on her desk. Thor would sleep on her couch, half of his body dangling off of it. And Steve… Steve would fall asleep in his tiny bedroom on that tiny uncomfortable mattress, all by himself.

            Ever since Steve and Bucky’s first date, Bucky would talk to Steve in the beginning of gym, and at the end of it, too. And some of the guys would ask Bucky why he was talking to Steve Rogers, and Bucky would tell them he was talking to him because he fuckin’ felt like it, so fuck off.

            And in gym today, during hockey (which would be over soon since September was coming to an end, and new month means new sport) Bucky got decked and he crashed to the floor and the gym teacher blew his whistle “Barnes! You okay!?” he shouted.

            Bucky waved a hand at the teacher and, “I’m fine, just gonna sit out for a bit!” and Bucky didn’t even _need_ to sit out, but the second that guy decked him Bucky knew he could use it to his own advantage. He knew he could go and sit on those bleachers with Steve for a little, so that’s what he did.

            The gym teacher blew his whistle again and the guys started playing hockey again and Bucky pretended to limp because he was pretending he hurt his knee, but it wasn’t so bad that he needed to see a nurse, of course.

            “How’s that paper coming along?” Bucky plopped down next to Steve and nudged him a little.

            “Fine.” Steve’s eyebrows were furrowed together and he looked like he was really concentrating on reading whatever boring article he had pulled up on the laptop.

            “You alright?”

            “I’m fine.”

            “You sure?”

Bucky pushed some of Steve’s hair away from his eyes and that made Steve snap back into reality, and “Sorry. I wasn’t… I was reading something, I’m okay… sorry.”

Bucky smiled at Steve and, “It’s fine, Steve.”

“Why aren’t you playing?”

“I got decked.” Bucky said. “Figured I’d fake being in a little pain so I could come sit with you. Don’t you get bored just sitting here reading shit the whole time?”

“It’s not _that_ bad, Bucky. This class is barely an hour long.”

“That’s a long time to be sitting on a bleacher that isn’t even comfortable while you read boring articles.” Steve chuckled and shook his head a little and then Bucky asked, “Do you go to parties?”

And Steve looked at his laptop again and started scrolling through links on Google that could help him with his paper and “No.”

“Would you go to a party if I went with you?”

Steve shrugged because, “I don’t think I fit in with the whole party scene.”

“Steve, ya don’t gotta be a specific person to fit in at a party. How about I take you out to dinner and after I’ll take you to a party and if you don’t wanna stay you don’t have to. I’ll even leave with ya.”

Steve sighed and stopped scrolling through Google and looked back at Bucky. “Whose party?”

“Tony’s.”

“Isn’t he our ride?”

“The party doesn’t start early, Steve. When we finish dinner we can go back to his place and we’ll relax for a bit and set things up for the party.”

“I… I don’t kn-“

“Come on, Steve. I’ll be with ya, and if you really don’t like bein’ there you and me can leave and go find something else to do, or we can get ya back home.”

Steve sighed and, “Fine. I’ll go.”

“Are ya sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

Bucky smiled and he asked Steve where he wanted to go for dinner because they still hadn’t figured out where they were eating, and they settled on going to this little diner that was kinda close to the group home because Steve never really ate out but he had eaten there and he knows that the food they have is good. And Steve asked Bucky a million times if going to a diner was okay and Bucky said it was fine and it didn’t matter where they ate.

And then it was time for their date and they both settled with eating breakfast for dinner because that’s the kinda shit teenagers do, right? And Steve asked who was going to the party tonight and Bucky told him there was a whole bunch of people going but, “the only people that are gonna be there that actually matter are you, me, Tony, Natasha, Thor, and Clint.”

Steve asked Bucky about them, he asked how they were and he wanted to ask how they felt about Bucky going on these dates with him because well… He’s Bucky Barnes and Steve is… Steve. But he didn’t ask about how they felt, he just asked what they were like and Bucky could talk about his friends for hours without stopping but he kept his talk of them short and sweet because he didn’t want his friends to be the topic of discussion while he was on his date with Steve.

Steve asked him about sports because Bucky seemed to be real good at hockey in gym and he wanted to know if he was real good at anything else. Bucky told him how he played sports since he was little and through ninth grade, but then he quit because it just wasn’t his thing and he only did it because his parents wanted him to but he didn’t feel like putting up with sports just because it made his parents happy. Bucky asked Steve what sports he would like to do (you know, if he didn’t have severe asthma) and Steve told Bucky he would probably do baseball and they talked about baseball for a little bit and then they were almost finished with their food so Bucky called  Tony up and then Steve was in the back seat of Tony’s car and Bucky was in the passenger one and Tony was speeding (and he did that a lot because his dad could get him out of any ticket for anything, so it wouldn’t matter if he got pulled over and given a ticket because the next day it would be wiped off his record or something).

Tony stopped at a liquor store on the edge of town and he went inside real quick and bought a few bottles and gave the cashier more than enough extra money for selling him alcohol even though he was underage. And then Tony sped to the other side of town and stopped in front of some tiny little house and ran inside with a bunch of money and he came back into the car with a bunch of weed and he tossed it in the back seat and asked Steve to stuff it into the empty backpack that was next to Steve, and then Bucky (who was holding onto the alcohol) handed Steve the bottles and asked him to stuff those into the bag too.

And when they got to Tony’s house (no, his parents aren’t home) Steve gave Tony the backpack and he followed Tony and Bucky inside and he felt a little awkward and uncomfortable because he wasn’t really _friends_ with Tony and he’d never been into his house before, or into a house so fucking big and he wasn’t really sure how to act. So he stayed quiet and followed Tony and Bucky into the kitchen and sat on a stool and fiddled his thumbs while Tony and Bucky pulled the weed and alcohol out of the backpack.

“Hey, Steve” Tony was digging into his pocket and he pulled out his phone. “There’s a group message on my phone, it’s the only group message I have, can you send a text to it and tell everyone to come over.” He slid his phone over the counter and  he told Steve the password to get into his messages and Steve sent the text and kept an eye on the phone so he could let Tony (who was digging around the kitchen cabinets) know what people were sending back.

And then Steve told Tony that his friends just pulled into the driveway so Tony left the kitchen, leaving Bucky and Steve alone.

“You alright?” Bucky walked over to Steve and leaned against the counter. “You seem… I don’t know… off or something.”

Steve shrugged, turning a little in the stool to get a better look at Bucky. “It’s just weird.”

“What is?”

“Being here.”

“Why’s that?”

And Steve just shrugged and said “Because I don’t really know Tony or anyone else that’s gonna be here.” Because he didn’t want to list all the reasons why it was _really_ weird.

Bucky let out a sigh and, “You’ll make friends just fine.” And he pecked Steve’s cheek with his lips and that made Steve smile just a little bit.

            Steve stayed. He stayed at the party with Bucky and with everyone else, and Bucky’s friends were real nice and Steve got drunk (for the first time) and he was laughing and playing stupid drinking games and then he felt a little sick so he said “I’ll be right back” and he darted out of the living room and Bucky made a face and then he darted in the same direction as Steve.

            “Steve!” Bucky shouted down the hallway Steve was walking down. “You alright, buddy!?”

            And Steve waved Bucky off and shouted “I’m fine!” but his voice sounded funny so Bucky picked his pace up and landed right next to Steve (who was having a real hard time walking in a straight line and not tripping over his own feet) and he grabbed Steve’s shoulder and asked if he was alright (again) and Steve sighed and said “I feel sick.”

            And Bucky said “someone got a little carried away.” And Steve glared at him and Bucky was all, “come on, come to the bathroom.” And he dragged Steve down the hallway and he could barely walk straight too so it was definitely a sight to see.

            Bucky shut the bathroom door and locked it behind himself and he told Steve to sit down so Steve dropped to the floor and leaned his back against the wall while Bucky filled a little paper cup with some water.

            Bucky sat in front of Steve and he sat down beside him and handed him the cup and told him to drink it, so Steve did. And then Bucky said, “I’m sorry.” Because he wanted Steve to come to the party and he kept giving him shots and he was the only reason Steve was drunk and feeling sick.

            Steve just shook his head. “It’s fine.” He shut his eyes. “I just need… a minute. Just a minute.”

            “Do you wanna lay down somewhere?” And Steve nodded and before Bucky could get up Steve was leaning on him (with his eyes still closed) and Bucky laughed a little and said “I meant a bed or something.”

Steve shook his head and, “No. I wanna stay right here.” And his words were a little slurred but it was cute. So Bucky shifted around so that he was leaning against a wall while he sat on the floor and he was still drunk so the room was swaying a little and he thought it was kinda cool.

Steve laid down on the floor and rested his head on Bucky’s thighs and Bucky twirled some of Steve’s hair around on of his fingers and he was making stupid jokes (to himself, because Steve was definitely not listening to him).

            And when Steve opened his eyes he was still on the bathroom floor, but he was laying with his back to Bucky now, and Bucky had an arm wrapped loosely over Steve and Steve moved around a little bit so he could look at Bucky (who was knocked out right next to him on that cold, hard bathroom floor).

            “Bucky?”

            Bucky mumbled something and pulled his arm from Steve and rubbed his eyes before opening them. “Yeah?”

            “What time is it?” Steve didn’t have a curfew at the group home, but Nick (who was in charge there) expected everyone to come home every night, and if they wanted to sleep out they had to ask Nick for permission and what if Steve fell asleep with Bucky in the bathroom and it was morning now and-

            Bucky pulled his phone from his pocket and clicked a little button on the top. “Nine in the morning. Go back to bed.” Bucky shoved his phone back in his pocket and closed his eyes.

            “I gotta go.” Steve pushed himself off of the floor and made sure he looked and acted as calm as he possibly could. Shit. He was so fucked. He was going to be in so much fucking trouble.

            “Why?”

            “I just… I gotta go, Bucky.” Steve pulled the bathroom door open and Bucky sighed before pushing himself off the floor and walking in the same direction as Steve.

            “Steve-“

            “Bucky, I gotta go.”

            “Why?” Bucky asked, _again._

            “Because I just have to.”

            Bucky sighed and picked up his pace a little so he could grab Steve’s arm and keep him from walking any further. “Steve, you alright? Do you think we did somethin’ last night? I promise I didn’t touch ya, didn’t even kiss ya. All we did was sleep on the floor.”

            And if Steve wasn’t in such a rush to get home he would’ve thought about how glad he was that Bucky didn’t take of advantage of him last night and he would’ve thought about how sweet it was that Bucky was worried Steve was panicking over something that didn’t even happen. But he was in a rush so he just gave Bucky a, “Bucky, I just gotta _go_. It’s not cause I thought we did anything, I just gotta get home.” And he pulled his arm from Bucky’s grip and started walking again.

            “Well how’re you gonna get home?” Bucky asked, and then Steve stopped walking. He didn’t want to wake Tony up, or anyone else that might be there, just to ask them for a ride home.

            “I’ll walk.” Steve started walking again.

            “Let me walk with ya.”

            “No, it’s fine.”

            “Oh, come on. I gotta make sure you get home okay. It’s a long walk.” And then Steve stopped walking again, because shit. It was a long walk. And it’s like Bucky was reading Steve’s mind, reading all those thoughts floating around about how he needed to be home _yesterday_ and that he doesn’t have the fucking time to walk home, so Bucky offered, “I’ll grab you a taxi. How’s that? I’ll get a taxi to take you home, and I’ll get it to take me home too.”

            And that worked. That was something Steve agreed too. And so Bucky called a taxi and he sat in the back with Steve and he fiddled with Steve’s fingers and pecked him real quick on the lips and told Steve he was gonna call him later, and then Steve darted out of the car and the taxi drove away.

            Steve opened the door as quietly as he could, and he didn’t know why because Nick already fucking knew Steve wasn’t home so it’s not like he could sneak in and pretend he was here all night because dammit, Nick fucking knew.

            He walked toward the kitchen where everyone would be helping Nick out with breakfast, and he took a deep breath before walking in there and, “Nick, I’m s-“

            The _second_ Nick saw Steve invisible smoke started flying out of his ears. “You stay out, and you don’t think to _ask?_ You don’t even think to call and let me know you decided you’re going to stay out without fucking _asking?_ ” and everyone’s eyes were on Steve’s and… and no, he wasn’t going to fucking be yelled at in front of everyone.

            So Steve turned around and started walking and Nick was following close behind and he grabbed Steve by the shoulder and pushed him into a wall. “I’m sorry!” Steve yelled.

            “Sorry isn’t good enough!” and Steve’s cheek felt really sharp and grew really red after Nick’s hand came in contact with it. “You’re not going out for the rest of the weekend, and you’re _lucky_ it’s just the rest of the weekend.” And then Nick walked away and Steve walked to his bedroom and he wanted to beat himself up because he should’ve just told Bucky he wanted to go home when he started to feel sick but he didn’t because he’s an idiot.

           

           


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *chapter contains some sexual content  
> *chapter contains some mention of sexual activity without consent

            Bucky called Steve, just like he said he would. “Hello?”

            “Steve?” Why did Bucky even ask if it was Steve? Of course it was Steve; he dialed  his number after all.

            “Yeah, what’s up?”

            “I’m going out to grab some pizza with Nat and the guys. Wanna come?”

            And yeah, Steve did want to go, but he _couldn’t_ because he wasn’t allowed to leave the group home all weekend. “I can’t.”

            “Steve, if ya don’t feel good I promise it’s just a hangover and the pizza will probably help.” And yeah, Steve didn’t feel good. It felt like there was a tiny creature in his head scraping at his skull with its razor sharp nails, and he constantly felt like he was going to throw up but he never did.

            “It’s not the hangover. I just… I can’t get out right now.”

            Bucky sighed and, “What if we bring the pizza to you?”

            “I can’t have all of you guys here.”

            “What about just me?” Three dates (four if you choose to include the party as a date) in just three weeks and anyone listening to Bucky (besides Steve, because he was clueless) could hear how much Bucky was fucking swooning for this kid.

            “I…” was he allowed to have someone over? Nick said he couldn’t go out, but he didn’t say he couldn’t have just _one_ person over. “Give me a sec, okay?”

            “Okay.”

            Steve dropped his phone onto his bed and left his room and knocked on Nick’s office door and came in when Nick said he could and, “Nick, can I have a friend over?”

            “Sam?” Nick raised an eyebrow and looked at Steve.

            Steve shook his head. “No, a guy from school.”

            “Who?”

            “This kid James.” He said James instead of Bucky because if he had said Bucky there’s no way Nick would even consider letting him over because he would’ve thought Bucky was a ridiculous name and that was enough to make him say no.

            “I’ve never heard of James.”

            “Well… new friend, I guess. We have gym together.”

            Nick sighed and, “I _should_ say no, but you’ve only got Sam so it’ll be good for you to have another friend. He doesn’t stay past ten, and that’s me being _nice_.”

            So Steve told Bucky he could come over and he told him he had to be gone by ten and Bucky didn’t even care because he was just happy he was getting to see Steve. He asked Steve how he liked his pizza and he grabbed two slices for Steve and two for himself and he hung out with his friends while they ate their slices, and then Tony gave him a ride to the group home and he told him he’d be back at ten and Bucky tossed him two cigarettes and thanked him before getting out of the car and knocking on the front door.

            Nick was the one who opened the door, because Nick was _always_ the one who opened the door. “Who’re you?”

            “I’m Steve’s friend.” Bucky smiled at Nick and stretched his hand out.

            “James?” Nick shook his hand quickly, he had a firm grip.

            “Yeah.” Nick stepped aside and Bucky walked past him and “Where’s he?”

            Nick pointed to a hallway. “Down that hallway, first door on the left. Don’t leave that pizza box in there; throw it in the trash when you’re done.”

            “Got it.” Bucky nodded and walked to Steve’s room and gently knocked on the door and said. “Steve, it’s me.” And Steve’s heart stopped for a moment because Bucky was about to see his tiny, rinky dinky bedroom. But Bucky couldn’t be expecting anything nice, considering it’s a group home, right?

            Steve’s heart was beating quickly when he opened the door and, “Sorry it’s tiny… and kind of shitty.”

            And Bucky smiled at Steve and said, “It’s cozy.” And he walked into the room and dropped the pizza box onto the bed while Steve shut the door and he made himself comfortable on that very uncomfortable mattress. He leaned his back against the wall and crossed his legs like a pretzel and then Steve walked over to the bed and crawled up next to Bucky. “Can I get a kiss?” Bucky asked, and something about him asking that made Steve’s heart skip a beat. So Steve nodded and Bucky smiled and then their lips connected for just a minute.

            And the boys ate their pizza and when they finished it Steve put the empty box on top of his dresser and then he was back next to Bucky who immediately pressed his lips to Steve’s cheek.

            “Are ya gonna let me take you on another date?”

            Steve nodded, smiling. “Mhhm.” And he shifted his position so that he was facing Bucky and their faces were real close. “But I picked the last movie we saw and I picked where we ate yesterday so you pick somethin’ this time.”

            “Okay… How about… next Friday’s the first football game of the season. Would you be my date?”

            And Steve’s cheeks turned just a little pink and he nodded. “Yeah.”

            And Bucky smiled and, “We might have to hang out with Natasha and the guys for a little, but we’ll ditch them, don’t worry.” And that made Steve laughed a little so Bucky said, “You’re cute when you laugh.” And that was the first compliment either of them had given so it took Steve by surprise a little and it made his stomach twirl around.

            “When I _laugh_?”

            “Well, you’re cute all the time, but you’re a different kinda cute when you laugh.”

            And _god_ if that didn’t make Steve’s heart sing. “Thanks.” His cheeks were bright red and he had the cutest smile plastered on his face.

            “Anytime.” And then Bucky leaned forward and their lips met and Bucky’s hand found its way to the back of Steve’s neck and when their tongues started to wrestle Steve grabbed Bucky’s shirt collar and tugged him closer to him and it just made the both of them fall back onto the mattress and that made Bucky laugh a little but their lips never broke contact.

            Steve’s hands stayed holding onto the collar of Bucky’s shirt and when Bucky pulled his head back it was just to say “You don’t hafta keep your hands there. There’s more to me than the collar of my shirt.” And he didn’t give Steve a chance to say anything back. He pressed their lips together again and slowly but surely Steve moved his hands to the back of Bucky’s head and he pulled him a little closer before moving one of his hands down onto Bucky’s back. Even though he was moving his hand over Bucky’s shirt, he could feel each muscle of Bucky’s body and it was fucking _hot_.

            And after a few minutes had gone by Bucky moved one of his hands from the mattress (both of his hands were planted on it so he could hold himself up over Steve) and his hand slid over Steve’s torso (the fabric being the only thing between Bucky’s hand and that soft, smooth skin). Steve wasn’t like Bucky, he didn’t have muscles, but Bucky still traced his torso through the shirt. His fingers slipped underneath the hem of his shirt, and just above the waistline of his jeans and his boxers, Bucky made little circles with the tip of his index finger. And after a few minutes, Steve was pulling Bucky’s hand higher up underneath his shirt, because shit, Bucky’s touch was so soft and it felt _nice._

            Bucky’s fingers grazed Steve’s nipples, and then he caught one between his index finger and thumb and Steve didn’t mean to, but when Bucky twisted his nipple around a little he let out this little whimper into the kiss he shared with Bucky and that made Bucky smirk and twist his nipple again.

            So Bucky played with Steve’s nipples for a little bit. Steve’s breathing picked up the pace (don’t worry, he isn’t going to have an asthma attack) and he didn’t mean to grind his hips forward when he did, but he was turned on and he had a fucking boner and-

            His boner.

            Bucky felt Steve’s boner when Steve grinded his hips forward and Steve _knew_ his boner had touched Bucky because he fucking felt it touch him, even through his jeans. So Steve dropped his hips down onto the mattress and popped his eyes open and pulled his lips from Bucky’s and, “S-sorry.”

            “Sorry?” Bucky stopped playing with Steve’s nipples. “What for?”

            “For… you know what for.”

            Bucky furrowed his eyebrows and tilted his head a little. “No… I don’t think I do.”

            “I…” Steve couldn’t say it, so he just lowered his eyes to his boner and Bucky followed Steve’s eyes and then rolled his own.

            “You’re apologizing for gettin’ hard?” he was looking back at Steve now, whose face was a deep red. “Steve…” Bucky adjusted his position a little and then grinded down against Steve. “Feel that? I got one too.” And _god_ , that was _fucking hot_. “Don’t apologize.”

            “I…”

            “Steve, _don’t_ apologize. I… I can take care of it… if ya want?”

            And now Bucky wasn’t looking at Steve anymore, he was looking at Steve’s chest because he felt a little weird because what if Steve was uncomfortable or something? “I…”

            “I don’t mind, but I won’t do it if ya don’t want me to.”

            So Steve shook his head side to side. “I… I _want_ you to but I… I can’t do anything back. I don’t… I’ve never-“

            “Steve, I don’t need anythin’ back.” Bucky said. He looked at Steve again.

            “But… but aren’t we supposed to both-“

            “Steve, there’s not a rule book. We don’t both hafta do somethin’ for each other. I can make you feel good without gettin’ anything back.”

            “But do you want-“

            “Steve, I just wanna make ya feel good. Whattaya say?”

            So Steve reached down to his pants and pulled his belt off and dropped it onto the floor beside the bed and Bucky had a smirk tugging at his lips and Steve’s face was _so_ red and he looked _so_ nervous.

            “Are you… You really don’t-“

            “Steve, don’t worry about it.” And Bucky helped Steve unbutton his jeans real quick and he tugged them down Steve’s skinny (but cute) little legs and tossed them onto the floor before pressing his lips against Steve’s real quick. “You sure about this, Steve? You’re okay with this?”

            Steve nodded.

            “Can ya say it? I need ya to tell me you’re okay with this.”

            “I’m okay with it.” What exactly ‘it’ was, Steve wasn’t entirely sure. Was it just a hand job, was it a blow job? What was it? Fuck. Wait. “Wait, Bucky.” Bucky had started kissing Steve’s jawline, but stopped the moment Steve spoke again.

            “Yeah?”

            “I… Don’t… Just your hand, okay?”

            Bucky nodded and, “Okay.” And he started kissing Steve’s jawline again, and he tugged the collar of his shirt to the side a little so he could kiss his shoulder. He sucked just a little bit, the mark left was just a little red and would be gone within the hour.

            Normally, Bucky would’ve spent time kissing Steve all over but he _knows_ Steve was anxious (it was Steve’s first time experiencing something like this, there’s no way he _wasn’t_ anxious). So Bucky started kissing Steve’s lips again and he told him, “If you want me to stop, tell me to stop.”

            So Steve said, “Okay.” Even though there was no fucking way he was going to tell him to stop.

            Bucky grazed his hand over Steve’s boner through his boxers, his lips still on Steve’s. Steve felt chills run through his body, because he had never even touched himself this way and now _Bucky Barnes_ was.

            Bucky teased him a little, just rubbing gently against his boxers, then he tugged the elastic waistline down until Steve’s hard on was free and one more time, “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

            “God, just fucking touch me already.” Steve surprised himself saying that, and he definitely surprised Bucky. But Bucky just smirked and continued to swirl his tongue inside of Steve’s mouth and his fingers wrapped around Steve’s cock and a moan that was probably a little too loud came from the back of Steve’s throat. “Try to be quiet.” Bucky whispered, because Nick was definitely home and Bucky didn’t know how many other people were here, and he didn’t want people hearing Steve getting a hand job for the first fucking time in his life.

            So Steve nodded and he was able to keep quiet while Bucky’s hand moved up and down, and oh god it felt so good, so fucking good and Steve didn’t even realize he had started grinding his hips in sync with the way Bucky’s hand was moving (and Bucky wouldn’t admit it if you asked, but that was definitely a turn on).

            And when Bucky’s thumb started drawing circles on the head of Steve’s cock with the precum that was pouring out, Steve’s body filled with chills and he had to break his kiss with Bucky so he could bite down on his lower lip and keep quiet. “You like that?” Bucky asked in this whisper so low Steve could barely hear it.

            “Mhhm.” Steve was still biting down on his lower lip.

            “What about…” Bucky pressed his thumb against the slit on Steve’s head and Steve bit down on his lip even harder. “What about that?” Yeah, Bucky was definitely enjoying himself.

            Steve nodded and Bucky played around with the head of Steve’s cock for a little, and Steve was practically squirming under his touch. And then Bucky started moving his hand up and down again so Steve was moving his hips again and how the fuck is it possible that he hadn’t come ye-

            Steve’s body jerked suddenly and his mouth fell open and his eyes did too, and one hand gathered up some of the blanket on his bed into a little ball and the other gripped onto Bucky’s shoulder and he came for the first fucking time in his _life_ at the hands of _Bucky Barnes_.

            And Bucky moved his hand up and down Steve’s cock until Steve was totally done coming and then Bucky let go of Steve and he pressed their lips against each other and, “Do ya feel alright?”

            Steve nodded. “Y-yeah.” He was a little out of breath and he felt a little tired now.

            “You need…” Bucky started looking around. “Where’s the bathroom in this place?”

            “D-down the hall. The very last door on the right.”

            “I’ll be right back.” And before Steve could ask Bucky what he was doing, Bucky had hopped off the bed and he adjusted his boner a little to hide it, and he tossed a blanket over Steve’s lower half and left the room.

            Steve was left to think about how he came so suddenly and didn’t even warn Bucky and wait… Didn’t Bucky have come on his hand? Did he fucking leave Steve’s room with Steve’s fucking come on his _hand_?

            And then Bucky was back in the room holding a little hand towel that he dampened with warm water and Steve didn’t even ask if he left the room with a come covered hand.

            And Bucky sat beside Steve and he wiped away the come that was on Steve’s shirt (and there was a lot of it on his shirt) and then asked him to take his shirt off because it was dirty and he needed to wipe off his stomach (because yeah, it’s a thin shirt so come probably seeped through onto his stomach).

            “I… I can do it.”

            “Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

            Steve nodded and grabbed the towel from Bucky. “Just… give me a sec.” Why? Because it’s one thing for Bucky to feel his lack of muscle through his shirt, it’s another thing for him to actually _see_ it. And Bucky knew that, he knew Steve didn’t want him to see his torso (but he didn’t know why). So Bucky turned around and Steve pulled off his shirt and wiped himself off (yes, including his dick) and then he pulled his blanket up so Bucky couldn’t see his torso when he brought over the hoodie that was hanging on a hook on the wall that Steve asked him for. And he slipped into the hoodie and pulled his boxers up (because Bucky never actually completely took them off of his legs) and he asked Bucky for his jeans and his belt and he slipped into them quickly while Bucky sat next to him on the bed and,

            “Ya look real good when you’re panting.”

            And Steve stopped pulling his belt through the belt loops and he shoved Bucky and his face turned red. “Shut up.” So he finished pulling his belt on and then he moved closer to Bucky and, “Am I supposed to thank you?”

            And that made Bucky laugh way harder than it should’ve and he shook his head. “No, Steve!”

            “Well I don’t know! I don’t know how this works!” And Bucky laughed a little more and Steve grabbed a pillow to cover his face with and when Bucky was done laughing he pulled the pillow from Steve’s grip and he pressed his lips to his cheek.

            “You’re adorable, you know.” He mumbled against his skin. Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve and tugged him onto his lap (and his boner was gone and Steve wasn’t sure if Bucky was just good at calming his junk down or if maybe he jerked off real quick in the bathroom) and Bucky kept his arms secured around Steve’s little waist and he pecked his lips real quick.

            “Don’t tell your friends about this.”

            And Bucky stayed quiet for a second because it was out of his element for him _not_ to tell his friends about something like this, and then “Not even _one_ of them?”

            And Steve sighed and he knew Bucky would keep asking if he could tell just _one_ friend so, “Who? They can’t tell anyone either. I’m serious.”

            “Tony. He’ll keep his mouth shut, honest to god.”

            And Steve rolled his eyes and, “Fine, you can tell him. But don’t tell him it was my first one or nothin’.”

            “I won’t.”

            And Steve stayed quiet for a second. He let his head fall against Bucky’s shoulder and he shut his eyes and Bucky kissed the top of his head real quick. And Steve thought about how this wasn’t _really_ the first hand job he got. It was the first hand job he _agreed_ to and _wanted_ , but it definitely wasn’t his first hand job. And if Bucky knew that, if he knew Steve had gotten hand jobs before but Bucky’s was the first one he actually consented to, it woulda made Bucky real mad because someone took advantage of Steve, but it also woulda made him feel a little good because shit, his hand is the first one to give Steve a hand job he wanted (and that woulda made him feel a little selfish, but whatever).

           

           


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *There's homophobia in this chapter

            In school, Bucky started planting a light kiss on either Steve’s lips or his cheek whenever he saw him. It made Steve blush each time and if Steve were kissing any other guy he’d be nervous about it because other guys aren’t Bucky. Since its Bucky leaving those little kisses on Steve, Steve doesn’t have to worry about someone calling him a ‘fag’ or someone throwing him a few punches because they think a guy kissing a guy is nasty. It’s _Bucky_ and nobody is dumb enough to call the guy Bucky is kissing a ‘fag’ and nobody is dumb enough to throw a few punches at the guy Bucky is kissing, because like I said, it’s _Bucky_.

            And when Steve was sitting alone during lunch (he sat in the library, he never dared sit alone in a crowded cafeteria) Bucky would text him and sometimes Bucky would leave class to go to ‘the bathroom’ but really he’d just go to the library and sit with Steve for a little bit and ask him which classes homework he was working on. And Steve would tell Bucky to get back to class after a few minutes and Bucky would tell Steve he didn’t really want to, but then Steve would ask him really sweetly to go back to class so Bucky would sigh and kiss him real quick and tell him he’ll see him later and then he’d leave the library and Steve would be sitting alone again.

            And after that fourth date at the school’s first football game of the season, Steve asked Bucky if they could go to more games because he had a lot of fun. Bucky and Steve sat with Bucky’s friends for a little bit and then Bucky and Steve walked to the little area that was designated for cigarette smoking (because yeah, it’s a high school, but no students would abide by the no smoking rule so the school caved and just gave them a little spot to smoke because it’s better to confine the smokers to one spot. Right?). Bucky made sure to blow his smoke away from Steve (because what if he inhales too much second hand smoke and has a fucking asthma attack?). Steve kept an eye on the game (it was real cute the way he got really into the game). When Bucky finished smoking he grabbed Steve’s hand and they found a spot on the bleachers and sat down beside each other and Bucky kept an arm loosely around Steve and when the game would get a little slow and boring they’d talk, and Bucky would ask Steve if he was sure he didn’t want a drink or something to much on and Steve would just keep telling him he was fine.

            After the game, Bucky and Steve met up with Bucky’s friends again and they all went back to Thor’s house (Thor played in the game, he’s the quarterback) and then Steve asked, “Why do you just come home after the game? Doesn’t the team have a party after every game?”

            And Thor shrugged as he dug through the pantry looking for something to munch on. “Would rather be with my friends.”

            “You can’t bring them with you?”

            “Not really, no. Those parties are kind of a team only thing.”

            “Oh.” That was sweet of Thor, to choose hanging out with his friends over partying with his team.

            “Steve!” Bucky shouted and he waved a hand in the air and he picked up his pace a little. Steve smiled to himself and continued to dig through his locker. “Hey, Steve.” Bucky said when he reached Steve’s side. Steve paused on rummaging through his locker (which was always a mess) so Bucky could kiss him real quick and then he was digging through his locker again.

            “How’re you?” Steve asked.

            “Good. This Saturday I’m going to some haunted house with everyone,” (by everyone, he meant Natasha and the guys), “and I wanted to know if you’d come.”

            “I… I don’t have money, Bucky.”

            “So I’ll pay.”

            “Those things are expensive.” A little too expensive… they’re definitely not worth the price.

            Bucky shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

            But, “You’ve paid for everything we’ve done.”

            “It’s not a big deal, I don’t mind. I want you to come with us.”

            “But-“

            “Steve, please? After we’re gonna go back to Clint’s house and watch some stupid scary movie.”

            “So why don’t I just meet up with you guys at Clint’s for the movie.”

            “Because I want you to come to the haunted house, too.”

            Steve sighed and he knew Bucky wasn’t going to stop asking him so.  “Fine.”

            And normally Bucky would smile knowing Steve was going to come do something with him and his friends, but Steve didn’t even sound happy about it so Bucky sighed and leaned against the locker next to Steve’s and, “Alright, you don’t hafta come.”

            Steve stopped digging through his locker and he stood up straight and looked at Bucky. “What?”

            Bucky shrugged. “You don’t hafta come if you don’t want to.” And he sounded a little upset and that made Steve feel bad (but he didn’t mean to make Steve feel bad, honest).

            “I _want_ to, but it’s gonna be expensive and you always pay for everything, Bucky.”

            “But I don’t mind.” And Steve sighed and inched closer to Bucky so he could lean into him and Bucky’s arms found their way around Steve and he rested his chin on the top of Steve’s head. “Stevie,” that was a new name, nobody had ever called Steve ‘Stevie’ before, “I _like_ paying for things. It doesn’t bother me if it means I get to spend time with ya.” And that made Steve blush a little and he had a tiny smile on his face.

            “That’s tacky.” Steve said before pulling back from Bucky. “But it worked.”

            “Shut up.” Bucky shoved Steve a little and they both chuckled and Steve grabbed the book he’d been looking for in his locker and then hung his backpack on one of the locker hooks and kicked the metal door shut.

            “What time are we going?” Steve and Bucky started to walk down the hallway.

            Bucky shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I gotta run. I gotta go do somethin’ with Tony.” Bucky kissed Steve on the cheek and, “You’ll have fun, promise.” And then he kissed him on the lips real quick and darted down the hallway in a different direction.

            And Steve didn’t ask Bucky what he had to do with Tony, and it’s a good thing he didn’t because if Bucky had told him that Bucky and Tony were gonna go slash some guys tires and give him a black eye and toss him to the ground (because Tony had bought drugs from the guy and it was a total rip off because the drugs ended up being over the counter pain killers for headaches and shit that didn’t even make you feel a little bit high) Steve would’ve begged Bucky not to do it, and he would’ve gotten real upset because he doesn’t like violence (even if someone does kinda deserve it for taking all that money from someone for bullshit drugs).

            When Saturday came, Bucky got the keys to his truck back from his mom after begging her all morning and all afternoon to let him drive again because that drunk driving thing happened in the summer and now it was the beginning of October and he wanted his fucking truck back (and the ride to this haunted house is kinda long and he doesn’t wanna spend it cooped up with Steve in someone else’s car).

            Bucky picked up Steve and then he met everyone at Clint’s house and they hung out there for a little bit while Natasha finished getting herself ready in his bathroom even though “Nat, ya look fine. Let’s go, it’s gonna be dark, and you look _fine_.”

            And then, “Shut up, Clint.”

            And, “Come on, babe. Let’s go, you can finish doing your makeup in the car.”

            And then Natasha sighed and stuffed her makeup into her bag and slipped into her shoes and, “Fine, let’s go.” And Clint smiled at her before kissing her lightly on the cheek and grabbing her hand.

            And on the way to the haunted house, Steve was tired. He was leaning against the inside of the car door and his eyelids felt heavy and it was pretty late (and yes, Steve already talked to Nick and he told him he wouldn’t be sleeping out but he’d be home really late. Nick _wanted_ to tell him not to come home too late, but fuck, Steve had actual friends now so what the hell?)

            “Stay with me, Stevie.” Bucky nudged Steve and he had this playful little smile on his face. “We’re almost there. I can grab you some coffee if you want?”

            Steve pushed himself off the door and he didn’t mean to yawn but he did and then, “I don’t need coffee, I’m awake.”

            “But you’re _tired_.”

            Steve shrugged and his eyes flicked to Bucky’s arm that was resting on the arm rest attached to the driver’s seat. “I’m awake, I’m fine.” Steve reached for Bucky’s hand and intertwined their fingers.

            Bucky sighed. “Steve, if you’re not awake when you go in this thing you’re gonna have a heart attack.”

            So, “Fine, but a _small_ coffee.”

            “Iced or hot?”

            Steve shrugged again. “Iced, I guess.”

            And Bucky turned up the radio a little and Steve ended up leaning against the car door again and he almost fell asleep but then Bucky turned the car into the parking lot of this haunted place, and it was a real fucking sharp turn so Steve jerked up and he pulled his hand from Bucky’s so he could shove him and Bucky laughed a little before shutting the car off.

            Bucky slipped into his zip up sweater while he and Bucky walked over to Clint’s car (Clint drove Natasha, Tony, and Thor) and then he banged his hand against the hood of the car and yelled “Get out slow pokes!”

            And, “Hit my fucking car again and you’re gonna lose a hand.”

            “Oh, fuck off. You wouldn’t do that to me.” And Clint just rolled his eyes as Bucky said, “You guys just give me your money for your tickets, I’ll buy them and you guys can go grab a spot on line.” So everyone shrugged and nodded and handed Bucky their money and Bucky grabbed Steve’s hand and, “We’ll see you guys in a minute!”

            So everyone went on line for the haunted house while Bucky and Steve went on the ticket line, and Bucky tipped the girl that sold him the tickets (because he fucking tips everyone, everywhere) and he shoved the tickets into his pocket and he dragged Steve over to this little stand that sold beverages and he got Steve his iced coffee and Steve thanked him and Bucky told him not to worry about it.

            And the line for that haunted house was long, so Bucky decided that before he and Steve would go wait on it, they’d sit on this little bench under a tree with leaves that were changing color. So he dropped himself onto the bench and Steve was all, “Shouldn’t we go wait on line?” but Bucky just shook his head back and forth as he pulled Steve onto his lap.

            “They’ll still be there when we go over, it’s fine.”

            And for a little bit they just sat silently- Steve on Bucky’s lap while he sipped at his coffee, and Bucky’s arms draped around him.

            “I’m glad you came.”

            Steve pulled the straw from his mouth. “Yeah?”

            Bucky nodded. “Yeah,” and he pressed his lips to Steve’s cheek real quick. “I like spendin’ time with you, and everyone else does too ya know. They think you’re real cool.”

            “I don’t think ‘cool’ is the right word to describe me.”

            Bucky chuckled a little and, “Alright, they think you’re a big fuckin’ loser. That better?”

            Steve shrugged. “Definitely more accurate.”

            “Aw, come on Stevie, don’t say that.”

            “Oh, come on Bucky-“

            “No, don’t say that. You’re not a fuckin’ loser.”

            Steve just let out a sigh and, “Come on, let’s go wait on line.”

            “Can I get a kiss first?”

            Steve rolled his eyes because Bucky could be such a fuckin’ dweeb sometimes, but he still pressed their lips together and he could feel Bucky’s smile and when their lips parted Bucky squeezed Steve real quick and then they were walking over to that _really_ long line that was going to be _really_ boring to wait on.

            Or not.

            Because apparently Bucky’s friends could make standing on a really long really boring line kinda fun. They teased each other and they talked about random stuff (and some people too, that Steve had only heard of but didn’t really know. And Natasha asked Steve what he thought of those people and he just shrugged and said he’s only heard bad shit about them). As they got closer to the entrance they started talking about the reviews they read online about this place (well, everyone but Steve because Steve didn’t read any reviews online). Apparently the place was real scary, which was good (and also an excuse for Bucky and Steve to hold hands real tight).

            And the haunted house _was_ real scary (and real fuckin’ long) and Steve was having fun. He was holding onto Bucky’s hand and Natasha and Clint were right in front of them holding hands, and behind him were Thor and Tony, and Tony was all, “Thor, should we hold hands? You know, just so we fit in?” and Thor laughed and grabbed Tony’s hand and Tony was all, “My long haired beauty, I’m so glad you’re here with me!” and Thor and Tony laughed and kept making jokes like that which made the place a little less scary for everyone.

            And when this super bloody clown popped out Bucky covered his eyes with his free hand and looked down and he screamed and Steve asked, “Come on Bucky, that wasn’t so bad?”

            But, “No, I don’t like clowns.”

            And Steve asked, “Clowns? Of all things to be afraid of?”

            And, “Shut up. Is he gone?”

            And Steve nodded (even though Bucky couldn’t see him because he was looking down at the ground with a hand over his eyes) and said “Yeah.”

            So Bucky lifted his head and let out a little huff and pretended he hadn’t almost pissed his pants a few seconds ago.

            And when the guy with the chainsaw popped out, everyone screamed. They walked through a room with a dead girl on the table surrounded by organs, and when they left that room a guy with an axe popped out and it made Natasha jump and she almost fell but Clint made sure she didn’t. And people kept popping out and Thor kept doing this really fake scream and he’d wave his hand in the air and ask for his mommy and it even made some of the employees (that were supposed to be scary murderous dead people) snicker a little, because Thor was a big guy (and not just big by high school standers, he was fucking huge) and it was really funny seeing him scream and ask for his mommy (and he even pretended to start crying a few times, he buried his head in Tony’s shoulder and everything and Tony played along and it was fucking funny).

            And when they were almost done walking through this thing, some asshole had to open his fucking mouth and, “What’s this? A pair of homos?” And Tony looked down at his hand and realized he wasn’t holding hands with Thor anymore so then he looked in front of him and well, Bucky and Steve… yeah, _they_ were the ones holding hands.

            “Hey-“ Tony started, but the guy just interrupted him.

            “Hey, nothin’, kid. I wouldn’t hang out around these fellas if I were you.” And Bucky felt Steve try to pull their hands apart so Bucky just tightened his grip. The group wasn’t walking anymore. Clint and Natasha were looking behind them, and Tony had a fist balled up at his side and Thor was glaring at this stupid fucking homophobe, and Bucky and Steve stood between them all and Steve’s stomach started to feel all weird.

            But, “Fuck off,” Bucky said. “It’s not like we’re tryna hold your fuckin’ hand.”

            The guy just rolled his eyes and, “You’re kind is disgustin’, and would you listen to that fuckin’ mouth of yours?” Ironic, considering the guy just dropped the f-bomb, but whatever.

            “My _kind_ doesn’t even affect you.”

            And Steve tugged at Bucky’s hand so Bucky looked at him and Steve opened his mouth to speak so Bucky leaned his ear down toward his lips (because it’s like a sixth sense told him Steve didn’t want to be heard) and while Steve whispered, “Bucky, let’s just go” into his ear that asshole kept talking and Bucky was about to open his mouth to say something back to Steve but he didn’t because Tony fucking shoved that asshole into a wall and started yelling so everyone was just looking at Tony now.

            And then the guy pushed himself off the wall and shoved Tony back a little and, “You _support_ those fuckin’ faggots?”

            And, “Yeah, they’re my fuckin’ friends and a dick in the ass feels good every once in a while.” (yeah, Tony had fucked a few guys, it was no big deal). And Tony pushed the guy again and the guy was ready to push him back but Thor pulled Tony to his side and said,

            “Leave us alone.”

            And nobody was paying attention to Steve because they were all focused on this asshole and Steve’s breathing was picking up a little and his heart was beating fast and he felt like he was going to fucking throw up and,

            “If you keep talking to us, you might catch our gay.” Bucky said in the most sarcastic tone _ever_.

            And then the guy opened his mouth again but Thor was already shoving Bucky forward with one hand and he was holding Tony by the wrist with his other one and, “Let’s go.”

            And they walked through a dark black hallway that was barely lit and Steve was walking slow so Tony put a hand on his shoulder and, “You alright?” Because Bucky was standing beside Steve shit talking that asshole and Tony knew Bucky wasn’t really bothered by it but he didn’t know if Steve was, and Steve was awful quiet right now.

            Steve shook his head (barely) from side to side and he squeezed Bucky’s hand tighter to get Bucky’s attention, so Bucky stopped saying whatever it was he was saying and he looked at Steve and, “Yeah?”

            And, “I wanna get out.”

            “What?”

            “The car, I wanna go to the car.”

            And Bucky didn’t even press him about it. He just looked around real quick and spotted one of those emergency exits people that get too scared can use to get out and he told everyone he’d meet them in the parking lot when they were finish and he dragged Steve out of the house and through the parking lot and Steve let go of Bucky’s hand when he leaned against his truck.

            Steve closed his eyes and his breathing was still quicker than normal and he really felt like he was going to throw up and that guy was a real fucking jerk and-

            “Stevie? You alright?” and Steve popped his eyes open and his hands started to shake and his stomach felt weird and, _fuck_ he was breathing way too fast and he had to calm down or he was going to have a fucking asthma attack, and then he was reaching for his pocket but he couldn’t keep his hand steady so it took him a little bit to get his inhaler, and everything around him was silent even though he could _see_ Bucky yelling at him, asking if he was alright, and asking him what was going on.

            And Steve’s inhaler made contact with his lips and Steve shoved the inhaler into his pocket and he closed his eyes again and he could feel tears building up.

            And, “I’m sorry.” Steve’s voice was shaky and he kept his eyes closed and a tear managed to slip from one of them anyway.

            “Stevie, ya didn’t do anything to be sorry for.” Bucky wiped that stray tear from Steve’s cheek away with his fingertip.

            “I…”

            “Relax.” Bucky pushed some of Steve’s hair from his face. “Look at me.” And Steve opened his eyes (slowly) and they were already red and they were glassy and two more tears fell onto his cheeks. “That guy doesn’t mean anythin’, but I’ll go back in there and toss him a beatin’ if it’ll make ya feel better.” Bucky had this sweet little smile on his face when he spoke.

            Steve shook his head, “No. Don’t do that.”

            “You sure?”

            Steve nodded. “Yeah.” And Bucky wiped some more tears from Steve’s cheeks and,

            “Don’t cry. There’s nothin’ to cry about. You’re alright.” And Bucky pulled Steve into a hug and Steve wrapped his arms around Bucky real tight and he pressed his face against Bucky’s chest and Bucky just stood in silence, holding Steve while he calmed down. And when Natasha and the guys were finished going through that haunted house, they asked to speak to a manager and they made a complaint about that asshole, but they didn’t bring it up when they met up with Bucky and Steve in the parking lot because Steve had clearly taken what that guy said to heart (or something) and nobody wanted to even bring the guy up.

            And in Clint’s car on the ride back to his house, Tony went on and on about how he should’ve just punched that guy in the face and knocked a few of his teeth out because he was a dick and he fucking deserved it.

            And in Bucky’s car it was silent (practically, the radio was on but it was real low). “If you don’t wanna go back to Clint’s I can drop you off home.”

            Steve was holding one of Bucky’s hands real tight and he was sitting with his legs folded like a pretzel and he shook his head. “I don’t wanna go home yet.”

            So Bucky smiled a little. “Good. I’m sorry that happened, Steve. That guy had no right to say any of that.”

            And Bucky and Steve shit talked that guy for a little and then they were back at Clint’s, and Clint was in the kitchen with Natasha and Bucky getting snacks and shit while Steve sat in the den with Thor and Tony. “Tony?”

            “Yeah?” Tony looked away from his phone and over to Steve.

            “Thanks.”

            Tony smiled at Steve and, “You don’t gotta thank me. Nobody talks about my friends that way.” And… _friends_? Like, with an ‘s’ at the end, so not just friend, so he wasn’t just talking about Bucky? So Tony and Steve are… _friends_?

            Steve just smiled at Tony and made himself a little more comfortable on the couch while Thor tied his hair back into a bun, and then Thor was stretched out over one side of the couch and he propped his legs up on top of Tony’s, and Tony told him he wasn’t his leg rest but Thor didn’t move his legs and Tony didn’t even bother to make him.

            And the scary movie wasn’t even that scary, and the special effects were fucking horrible, but Steve with sitting on the couch curled up next to Bucky (and yeah, he was _definitely_ dozing off because coffee only keeps you awake for so long). Steve felt himself being moved around at one point and… was he being lifted? Steve groaned and he reached out and he felt Bucky’s chest and… Bucky was holding him like a fuckin’ baby and Steve was too tired to do anything about it.

            Steve didn’t even open his eyes. He could hear Natasha talking to Bucky while Bucky walked to his truck, and Natasha helped Bucky get Steve into the car and they tried not to wake him up but they did (but they didn’t know that because Steve pretended to stay asleep).

            When Bucky got to the group home (he kept the radio off in the car because Steve was sleeping and putting on the radio would’ve been rude) he shook Steve just a little bit and Steve sighed and opened his eyes slowly. “Wake up, sleeping beauty. You’re home.”

            And Steve was really tired so all he did was shoot Bucky a glare before leaning in close to him so they could kiss. “I hope you feel better in the morning.” Bucky mumbled against Steve’s lips, and Steve knew exactly what he was referring to.

           

 

           


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *sexual content  
> *mention of a drinking problem

            October flew by (it was already Halloween, for fucks sake) and Bucky and Steve hung out a whole lot (and Bucky gave Steve a few more hand jobs, but that was it). Bucky had Steve over his place (they barely went to Steve’s because Bucky could kinda tell that Steve _hated_ Bucky being there because of how tiny his room was and some other shit, too). The first time Steve went to Bucky’s house it was just for a few minutes because Steve and Bucky were going to Tony’s and Bucky had a bunch of Tony’s shit at his house because Tony always fucking leaves everything everywhere he goes, so Bucky just had to grab those things and… wow, his place was huge. So Bucky showed him around the house as quickly as he could and he even took Steve to his bedroom (and yeah, they may have made out on the bed a little but that’s it).

            Steve and Bucky and their little group of friends did some more fun October stuff. They went to a corn maze, and they went to a farm and they picked apples and made apple pie (well, _Thor_ made the apple pie because he has some secret family apple pie recipe and everyone wanted the “Odin apple pie”). They also went pumpkin picking and carved pumpkins at Natasha’s (and yeah, they may have thrown pumpkin insides at each other for the entire night but it was still fun).

            And every Halloween Bucky threw a huge party because his parents would always go to the city so he had the place to himself. Some people dressed up, some people didn’t. Natasha only ever put on cat ears, and Clint let her stick a tail on him this year. Thor put on a red hooded cape and told people he was little red riding hood, and Tony just said he was going as a drunk (because if you’re going as a drunk nobody can judge you for being the most wasted at the party). But Bucky didn’t dress up, and neither did Steve (neither of them ever did, actually, not since they were little). And their friends called them lame and they just rolled their eyes at them.

            Steve was real careful about drinking alcohol, because the last party he was at he ended up way too drunk (remember that?) so he was barely drunk when Bucky grabbed him by the hand and pulled him into an empty hallway (and yeah, Bucky was barely drunk too because he was giving Steve a ride home later in the night and he just got his car back at the beginning of the month, so he couldn’t drink and drive (yet).

            Bucky pressed Steve against the wall and their lips met rather quickly, and Bucky sucked on his bottom lip for a little before intertwining their fingers. He pulled away quickly and tugged Steve up the stairs and down the hall and to his bedroom, and he kicked the door shut and didn’t even bother to turn on the lights because all he wanted to do was make out with his boyfriend (in private) for a little bit and you didn’t really need lights for that and wait… Boyfriend? Okay, so they’re not _official_ or anything, but they’re basically boyfriends… even if they’re not official. They should really be official, shouldn’t they? It’s been what, maybe a little over a month and a half since their first date? And it’s not like either of them are seeing anyone else and-

            Bucky pressed Steve against the door and their lips met again and Steve’s eyes fluttered closed and he slipped his arms around Bucky’s neck when Bucky’s hands reached for the back of his thighs. He squeezed onto them (and it tickled a little) and then he lifted Steve up and Steve’s legs wrapped around Bucky’s waist and Bucky kept one hand on the center of Steve’s back and the other on his lower back.

            And when Bucky’s hand moved lower and lower (and… yep, it’s on Steve’s ass now) Steve couldn’t help but grind his hips forward a little bit. Bucky smirked and he kept his hand on Steve’s ass, squeezing a little every now and then, and Steve’s dick was getting hard.

            Steve’s hand moved between his own legs in an attempt to push his boner aside or something, and he tried to be discreet but that’s kinda hard to do when you’re being held the way he was being held.

            “You alright?” Bucky pulled their lips apart to ask.

            “Yeah.” And Steve pulled his hand from between his legs and put it around Bucky’s neck again. Their lips met again and not long after Steve felt Bucky’s hand cup his boner through his jeans and chills went through his entire body and,

            “Lemme take care of you.”

            And then Steve was sitting on the edge of Bucky’s bed and Bucky was on his fucking knees in front of him and he kissed Steve while he pulled Steve’s belt off. He unbuttoned Steve’s jeans, and Steve helped him tug them off of his legs. Bucky pulled Steve’s sneakers off his feet and tossed them behind him, and his jeans followed shortly after. Bucky’s eyes locked onto Steve’s boner (which was still covered by his boxers) and like every other time Bucky had just given Steve a hand job, he asked, “Hand only?”

            And something in Steve made him say, “No.” and Bucky stopped looking at the boner to look at Steve’s face.

            “So what do you want, then?”

            “I…” Steve bit down on his lower lip because suddenly his stomach felt really weird.

            “Go on, say it.

            “I want…”

            “You know I’m not gonna do it unless you say it.” And Steve’s face was red but Bucky couldn’t tell because the lights weren’t on and the light from the moon shining through the window did barely anything. And Bucky obviously knew what Steve wanted but he still needed to hear him say it.

            “I… your mouth?”

            “What about it?” Bucky reached up to touch his lower lip. “There somethin’ on it?” and now he was just being a dick because he could.

            “No… don’t be an ass.”

            And that warm playful smile that was on Bucky’s face so often made an appearance and he pulled his finger from his lip and rested his hand on Steve’s thigh. “You want your dick in my mouth?”

            And Steve looked down at his lap and nodded. And Bucky _knew_ Steve must’ve been feeling all kids of embarrassed and anxious so he didn’t ask him to _say_ it. Bucky said, “Okay,” and he put a finger under Steve’s chin so he could lift his head and he said, “Gimme a kiss.”

            So Steve gave Bucky a kiss, and Steve cracked his mouth open a little so Bucky’s tongue could start wrestling his own. Bucky’s hand slipped into Steve’s boxers and he curled his fingers around the shaft of Steve’s cock and slowly started moving his hand up and down. It didn’t take long for Bucky to roll his thumb over the head of Steve’s cock. He’d always make little circles in the precum that was resting on it, and it always sent chills up Steve’s spine. Bucky pressed his thumb to the slit and Steve moaned into their kiss and grabbed onto Bucky’s shoulder with one of his hands.

            It didn’t take long for Bucky to tug Steve’s boxers down his legs and toss them behind him. He pressed their lips together again and slid his hands up and down Steve’s thighs and Steve tugged at Bucky’s shirt a little bit and Bucky asked, “Want me to take it off?” (Bucky always had all of his clothes on all the time. Steve’s lower half was the only part of him that was ever bare around Bucky, but no part of Bucky was ever bare and right now Steve _really_ wanted Bucky to be just _partially_ undressed, kinda like himself).

            Steve nodded and Bucky pulled his shirt over his head real quick and tossed it aside and Steve’s eyes glanced his torso over before Bucky pressed their lips together again. Bucky’s hands moved up and down Steve’s thighs again, and Steve kept one hand planted on the mattress beside him and the other was holding onto the back of Bucky’s neck.

            Bucky’s hand grabbed onto Steve’s cock again and he moved it up and down for a minute before pulling his lips from Steve’s and asking, “You’re sure about this?” And Steve nodded and Bucky could tell he was a little tense so, “Relax, okay?”

            And Steve, “I… sorry.”

            “You’re always sayin’ sorry when ya have nothin’ to be sorry for. Just don’t be so… tense, is all. I’m not gonna hurt ya or anything.” Bucky pecked Steve’s lips real quick and then he adjusted himself between Steve’s legs and bent over a little and, _shiiit_.

            Bucky moved his tongue up Steve’s cock and Steve’s hand immediately fell from Bucky’s shoulder. Both hands were gripping onto the blanket that was covering the mattress beneath him and his eyes were locked shut.

            Bucky teased Steve a little, just licking up his shaft for maybe a minute or two (but it felt like an eternity for Steve) and then he planet a soft, sweet kiss to the head of Steve’s cock. Some precum covered his lips, and he licked it away quickly before sliding his tongue over the head to gather up any precum that was resting there and Steve was _loving_ it.

            Before Bucky hollowed out his cheeks and took Steve’s full cock in his mouth he asked, “You’re totally sure about this?”

            “Y-yeah…” Steve didn’t mean to moan when he spoke, but he did, and it made a smirk pop onto Bucky’s face.

            “Okay.” And then Bucky’s cheeks were hollowed and Steve’s cock was in his mouth and… was Bucky fucking _deep throating_ him?

            A moan slipped from Steve’s mouth and he crouched forward a little and moved one of his hands back onto Bucky’s shoulders, and when Bucky’s tongue slid around all over Steve’s cock while he bobbed his head up and down, Steve was digging the tips of his fingers into Bucky’s shoulder.

            “You like that?” Bucky had pulled away from his cock for just a second to ask, and the second he was done speaking his lips were around his cock again.

            “Y-yeah…” and Bucky could feel more precum leaking out of Steve’s cock so he picked up his pace a little and then he pulled his lips back and kissed the head of Steve’s cock again before swirling his tongue around the top of it. “B-Bucky…” and that was the first time Steve ever _moaned_ , or even _said_ Bucky’s name while they were doing something like this, and god if Bucky wasn’t already rock hard that would’ve done it.

            “Mmm” and Bucky making that noise sent sweet vibrations through Steve’s cock and his toes curled just a _little_ bit.

            “I… I’m-“ but Steve cut his own sentence off with a moan _so_ fucking loud he was sure everyone downstairs partying could hear it even though the music was so loud and they were on a different floor of the house. And When Steve’s fingers dug in harder to Bucky’s shoulder and his breathing picked up _way_ too quick, Bucky knew he was going to come soon.

            Steve knew he was going to come soon too, because he could feel his orgasm pooling in his stomach and he didn’t even have a chance to warn Bucky that he was gonna come before he was moaning way too loud again and Bucky was swallowing his orgasm and he continued to move his head up and down Steve’s cock until there was nothing left. And the Bucky pulled his mouth from Steve’s cock and Steve fell back onto the bed (breathing really heavy) while Bucky licked his lips to gather up any come that was there and, “Did ya like it?”

            “Mhhm… I’m sorry.”

            Bucky sighed and, “For _what,_ Stevie?”

            “I didn’t… tell… you.” He was so fucking out of breath.

            “Tell me what?” Bucky arched an eyebrow.

            “That I… was about to…” and Steve didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because,

            “Oh! You didn’t hafta tell me, Stevie. It’s alright. It wouldn’t of made a difference anyway, still woulda swallowed it all.” Steve’s cheeks turned red and Bucky was sitting beside him on the bed now so Steve sat up and he pulled his boxers up real quick because he felt a little weird casually sitting with Bucky without any pants on.

            Steve glanced at that little (actually, no, it definitely wasn’t little) bump that he could see through Bucky’s jeans and. “You never get anything back…”

            “What?”

            “You always do somethin’ for me and you never get anything back from me.”

            Bucky sighed and grabbed one of Steve’s hands. “I don’t _need_ anythin’ from ya. When ya wanna do somethin’ for me I won’t stop ya, but I don’t _need_ you to.”

            “What if…”

            “What if what?”

            “What if I _wanted_ to… like… now?”

            Bucky’s eyebrows raised a little. “Now?”

            Steve nodded. “Y-yeah.”

            “Well… what do ya wanna do for me?” This was so fucking _awkward_.

            “I… What do you want?”

            “Anythin’ you’re willing to give.”

            “But you always check with me to see what _I_ want.”

            “That’s because…” Bucky stopped talking and thought for a second. “That’s because I’ve done stuff like this a buncha times. I didn’t wanna do anythin’ to ya that ya weren’t gonna be comfortable with. I’m comfortable with anythin’, Steve. Do whatever ya want.”

            Steve sighed before looking away from Bucky and asking, “Is just my hand okay?” and his voice shook a little because he was so fucking nervous and he felt so fucking awkward.

            “Yeah, as long as you’re okay doin’ it.”

            “I am.”

            “Okay…” Bucky turned Steve’s head so he was looking at him again and, “You can stop if you get uncomfortable… can I have a kiss?” So Steve moved himself closer to Bucky and their lips locked, and Bucky deepened the kiss real quick and then he wrapped his arms around Steve as he laid back onto the mattress and he pulled their lips apart for a second, “Whenever you’re ready…” and then he locked their lips together again.

            First Steve just grazed his hand over the bump in Bucky’s jeans, and then he messed with the button and the zipper and Bucky helped him tug the thick material off and then Steve dropped the dark jeans beside the bed and he pulled his lips from Bucky’s so he could start leaving kissed all over his chest because he thinks that’s what he’s supposed to do.

            Bucky’s eyes fluttered closed when Steve’s lips met one of his nipples and he slipped a hand into Steve’s hair and said, “I like that.” So Steve kissed his nipple again and then he hesitated for a split second before sucking on the small area of skin and he sucked on Bucky’s nipple for a little bit while two of his fingers squeezed his other nipple and this tiny little moan slipped from Bucky’s lips and it made Steve relax a little bit because it meant he was doing something right.

            Steve planted kisses down Bucky’s chest and on each one of his abs before he kissed Bucky’s lips again. He played with the waistline of Bucky’s boxers before slipping a hand inside and then he pulled his hand back out real quick and Bucky asked, “You okay?”

            Steve nodded and, “I just…” and he started tugging at Bucky’s boxers, “I just wanna get them off.”

            And something about that made Bucky chuckle a little and he said, “Okay,” and then Steve was kissing Bucky again and his fingers curled around Bucky’s shaft and, “Just like when you do it to yourself.”

            And Steve froze. Every inch of him froze because, “I… I don’t… I’ve never done that.”

            “What?”

            “I... I’ve never-“

            “Really?” But as soon as Bucky said that he rushed out, “Its fine, it’s okay. What I do to you, just do somethin’ like that, okay?” because Steve having a conversation with him about the fact that he’s never jerked off before probably wasn’t something Steve wanted to do.

            “Okay… okay.”

            “Gimme a kiss.”

            So Steve kissed Bucky and he _slowly_ started moving his hand up and down and Bucky asked him to pick the pace up just a _little_ bit, and when he did Bucky breathed heavy through his nose.

            For a little bit, Steve just stuck to moving his hand up and down, but then Bucky thrusted his hips forward and for some reason that made Steve want to change things up, so he moved his hand to the top of Bucky’s cock and rolled his thumb over the head just like Bucky always did to him. He pressed his thumb against the slit and Bucky moaned into the kiss he and Steve were still sharing. So Steve played around with the head for a little bit and then he moved his hand up and down the shaft again and this wasn’t as scary as he thought it was going to be. Bucky seemed to be enjoying himself (his moans and thrusts and all that precum were an obvious sign of his enjoyment) and Steve was kinda getting the hang of it and he was able to get a steady rhythm going before Bucky came.

            And right before Bucky came he, “Stevie… Stevie, I’m gonna come.”

            And Steve asked, “What do I do?” and it was so fucking dorky and so fucking cute and Bucky couldn’t help but laugh a little before saying,

            “Just keep movin’ your hand.”  So Steve kept moving his hand and then Bucky said, “A little quicker.” And when Steve picked up the pace Bucky said, “Yeah, yeah just like… Stevie I’m… oh god, Stevie-“ and he broke off his own words with a moan. His back arched and his eyes glued shut for a second and his mouth was hanging open and he was definitely moaning too fucking loud, and Steve kept moving his hand until Bucky reached for Steve’s wrist and, “I’m okay, I’m done. I’m… Stevie.” And he pulled Steve’s hand away.

            “Was… did I do okay?”

            Bucky opened his eyes and nodded. “Yeah,” and a smile popped onto his face, “more than okay.” He took in a deep breath and then, “Can you go in the bathroom real quick and grab a towel? One of the little ones on the counter; just wet it a little.”

            Steve nodded and hopped off the bed and went into Bucky’s private bathroom and dampened one of the little hand towels after he washed Bucky’s come off of his hand. He sat down beside Bucky and started wiping at the come on his lower torso and Bucky laid silently, his breathing slowly evening out.

            When Steve was finished cleaning Bucky up he said, “Should we… You know, should we go back downstairs?”

            And Bucky sighed and, “Yeah, I guess so.” But really he just wanted to stay in his bed with Steve. He wanted to curl up with him and just _be_ with him, but they should go back downstairs so Bucky hopped out of bed and slipped into his boxers, and he tossed Steve his jeans before pulling his shirt over his head and slipping into his own jeans. “Thanks, Steve.” Bucky said while Steve slipped his feet into his sneakers.

            “I… you’re welcome.”

            And Bucky and Steve left the room (hand in hand, I might add) and nobody asked where they had gone because there was so many people at the party that it was hard to keep track of anyone, so nobody really knew they had snuck off to Bucky’s room.

            Bucky excused himself for a second (he wanted to go to the yard to smoke a cigarette real quick, and it was a little cold out so he didn’t drag Steve with him like he usually did). Steve was alone now (in theory) so he wandered around until he found one of his friends and, “STEVE!” Tony shouted way too fucking loud. Tony ran over to Steve (it’s shocking he didn’t trip over his own two feet) and wrapped his arms around him and, “Steve! I barely saw ya all night!”

            Tony pulled away and, “I… I’ve been with Bucky.”

            “Getting’ a little action?” Tony arched an eyebrow and smirked at Steve, who just rolled his eyes and said,

            “Shut up.”

            “So that’s a yes, then?”

            “I said shut up.”

            Tony chuckled and then said, “Bucky really likes ya, ya know.” Steve’s cheeks turned pink. “You know he usually just fucks someone and then leave’s ‘em, but you’re different I guess. You’re the exception.”

            Steve wasn’t really sure what to say back, so he just smiled and Tony had already turned around to grab a bottle of alcohol from someone’s hands (and they didn’t dare try to fight him over it because you’re a fool if you fight Tony Stark over alcohol) and he held it out to Steve, but Steve shook his head, “No thanks.”

            Tony shrugged and he pressed the top of the bottle to his lips and titled his head back and… was it safe to down that much alcohol in one go? He was already wasted, and yeah he was a drunk for Halloween but… was that safe?

            “Tony…”

            “Yeah?” Tony asked as he pulled the now empty bottle from his lips.

            “You shouldn’t… that was a lot of-“

            “It’s fine Steve!”

            “Are you sure?”

            “Yeah, I haven’t even drunk as much as I usually do!” and that made Steve feel uneasy because Tony had already drunken more than the average person does in one night, and to think that’s not even as much as he usually drinks… that’s just… that’s not good.

            “Why don’t…(Steve was gonna suggest Tony drink some water, but he realized real quick that Tony would object to it) Wanna have a smoke?”

            Tony chuckled. “You can’t smoke; you’ll have an asthma attack and die.”

            Steve rolled his eyes. “Bucky went out to have a smoke, come on.” Steve grabbed Tony’s hand and Tony let himself be led out to the yard.

            “Bucky!” Tony shouted as he stepped out the door. He swung his arms around his friend (and almost made Bucky drop the cigarette that he was holding between two fingers) and, “You and Steve got some action, huh?”

            Bucky had his eyebrows raised when Tony pulled away and, “Yeah, maybe a little.” And he had a smirk on his face and then he flashes Steve this _look_ that Steve didn’t even notice because he was busy closing the back door.

            “Tony wants a smoke.” Steve walked over to Bucky and Tony.

            Bucky reached into his pocket and pulled out his pack of cigarettes, because let’s be honest, it was rare that Tony ever had a pack of his own. He handed Tony one and held the lighter up to it and it’s a shocker that the flame didn’t make Tony burst into flames because he was practically walking alcohol at this point.

            “How drunk are ya?” Bucky asked, because he knew how Tony got at parties and he almost always asked how drunk he was, and if he wasn’t doing it one of their other friends were.

            “I’m barely tipsy.”

            Steve looked at Bucky and, “He just downed half a bottle and he was already wasted to begin with.”

            “No I wasn’t!”

            “Tony, don’t drink anymore.”

            “How do you expect me to go the whole rest of my _life_ without havin’ another drink?!”

            Bucky sighed and, “I didn’t mean ever again, I meant for the rest of the night.”

            And Tony groaned because, “But I’m at a _party_ Bucky!”

            “Tony, you’re too drunk.” Bucky said. “Have a smoke, drink some water, and then I’m taking you home.”           

            “What!?”

            Bucky sighed. Usually, he was drunk too, so he would just make sure to hang out around Tony and attempt to keep him from drinking anymore, but since he _wasn’t_ drunk he wasn’t up for hanging around with Tony so he just, “Tony, the party’s over soon anyway.” (that was a total lie, but if Tony thought the party would be over soon, he’d be easier to drag to Bucky’s car).

            “But-“

            “Come on,” Bucky flicked his cigarette into the potted plant beside him and grabbed one of Tony’s hands. “Steve, can you go grab my keys from my room?”

            Steve nodded and Bucky left the yard and had a hard time dragging Tony to his car, so he ended up lifting him over his shoulder and that’s when Tony decided to stop trying to fight Bucky taking him home and, “You can put me down.”

            “I’ll put you down when Steve comes and opens the door.” And when Steve showed up he unlocked the side door of the truck real quick (because I call it a car but it’s a truck if we’re being specific and I just wanted to remind you of that) and he Bucky stuffed Tony into the car and Steve slid in next to him. (in case you’re wondering, Bucky’s truck has one bench-type seat in the front that seats three people, so all three of the guys get to squeeze together up there).

            Tony asked Bucky if he could smoke a cigarette so Bucky lowered the windows, even though since he was sitting in the middle the smoke wouldn’t make it outside and, “Don’t blow the smoke in Steve’s face.” (because of the asthma, remember?)

            “Why?”

            “He’ll fuckin’ die.”

            “I won’t die.”

            “Why would he die?”

            “Tony, shut up and smoke your cigarette.”

            “You don’t gotta be rude, Bucky.”

            Bucky sighed and turned up the radio as he turned a corner and, “Tony, you gotta chill with the alcohol.” Because Bucky realized a few months back that Tony was drinking more and more often.

            “Why?”

            “Because it’s not good to drink as much as you do.”

            “Says who?”

            Bucky sighed and, “Just smoke your cigarette.” Because he wasn’t going to have this conversation with Tony when he was _this_ fucking drunk.

            When Bucky pulled up to Tony’s house he asked Steve if he would help Tony inside because Bucky wanted to have a smoke (because seeing his friend go a little further downhill every time he got drunk stressed Bucky out a little, and he’d never let anyone know… well, anyone besides Steve, but we haven’t gotten there yet).

            Steve grabbed Tony’s keys from his pocket and he gripped his arm while he dragged him inside the house and he laid him down on his bed on his stomach, a little close to the edge, and he moved Tony’s little garbage pail that was usually beside his desk beside his bed because, “If you feel sick, there’s a garbage right here. I’m gonna go get you some water.” Steve roamed the empty house, because like usual Tony’s parents weren’t home. He grabbed a few water bottles from the fridge and set them down on the little nightstand beside Tony’s bed, and Tony was already asleep but Steve still told him, “Goodnight. I hope you don’t feel like complete shit in the morning.”

            Steve locked up Tony’s house and slid into Bucky’s car and Bucky was just finishing smoking that cigarette of his and, “You alright, Bucky?”

            Bucky flicked some of the ash off his cigarette. “I’m fine.” He put his car into drive and pulled away from the curb.

            “You sure?”

            “Yeah. You wanna head back to my place, or go home?”

            Steve shrugged. “I don’t care… are you really sure?” Bucky was slouching and his face showed how clearly upset he was.

            “I…” Bucky turned a corner and pulled the car up to the curb and put it in park as he dropped his cigarette end out the window and he turned to Steve out let out a real long sigh and, “He’s fuckin’ up, Steve. He’s been fuckin’ up for a while and he keeps getting’ worse and worse. He doesn’t even listen to me when I try to talk about this shit with him. Whether he’s drunk or he’s high or he’s sober, he doesn’t fucking listen.” Bucky rubbed his face with his hands and his eyes were clamped shut, and Steve inched himself closer to Bucky and curled his fingers around Bucky’s wrists before tugging his hands from his face.

            “Why doesn’t everyone talk to him?”           

            “You mean, like an intervention? No way he’d be down for that.”

            “So don’t tell him it’s an intervention. Just invite everyone over and take it from there.”

            Bucky sighed and his arms slipped around Steve and he nested his face into the crook of Steve’s neck. “He’ll just leave if we do that.”

            “So don’t let him.” Steve’s arms wrapped around Bucky and he kissed the top of his shoulder and, “We shouldn’t stay out long. There’s a party going on at your place in case you forgot.”

            Bucky sighed and pulled away from Steve. “So are you going home, or coming back with me?” and Steve shrugged and said,

            “I’ll go home. You could probably use a few drinks.” So Bucky kissed Steve real quick and then grabbed his hand and started driving again, and while he was in the car with Steve he felt okay. He felt better than he would’ve felt if Steve wasn’t there with him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *sorry it took me so long to upload this. i had a lot going on mentally, and also i just was extremely busy! sorry sorry sorry!

            “Hey, Steve!” Tony shouted as he pulled the library doors open. The librarian was quick to hush him but he just ignored her and walked over to the little table Steve was sitting at and he planted himself onto one of the chairs around it. Everyone knew Steve was in the library during lunch, since nobody had lunch with him, and Tony didn’t feel like going to class right now so he came to ask Steve, “You wanna come for a ride?”

            Steve stopped writing in his notebook and looked up at Tony. “Where to?”

            “I gotta pick something up.”

            “How long are you gonna be? I have class after this.”

            Tony sighed and grabbed one of Steve’s wrists, “It’ll be quick, come on.” And he stood up and tugged at Steve who quickly gathered up his things and walked beside Tony. They snuck out that entrance in that hallway with the bathrooms and Tony sped while he drove (like usual) and he parked his car in the driveway of some tiny house and, “Wait in the car, okay?”

            “Yeah, yeah. Hurry up.”

            Tony hopped out of the car and knocked on the front door of the house. He wasn’t even waiting outside for a minute before the door was pulled open. The man inside looked around, and he pointed at Steve in the car and asked “Who’s that?”

            “He’s cool, don’t worry about him.” And then Tony stepped inside and pulled the door shut behind himself.

            Steve was messing around with the radio stations when the front door of the house swung open and Tony was practically _thrown_ out the doorway. Steve pushed open the car door as the man that lived in the house slammed the front door shut and he ran over to Tony, who was kneeling on the ground with his hand holding onto his nose. “Tony, what the fuck?”

            “It’s fine. Help me up.” Tony held out his free hand and Steve helped him off the floor. “Let’s go.”

            “What happened?” Steve followed Tony back into the car and,

            “It was nothing.”

            And the whole ride back to the school Steve kept asking Tony questions and Tony just kept telling Steve not to worry and that he was fine and that nothing was wrong. When Tony pulled up in front of the school he asked Steve not to tell anyone about what happened and Steve said he wouldn’t (but he was lying because he was obviously going to tell Bucky).

            Steve let himself back into the school because Bucky had taught him how to pick that lock and Steve was already late to his class so he figured it wouldn’t hurt making himself a little more late. He sent Bucky a text asking him to meet him by the bathroom and Bucky replied almost instantly with a, _be right there_.

            “What’s up, Stevie?” Bucky asked when he approached Steve. He smiled at him and pecked his lips real quick.

            “Tony… Tony asked me to pick something up with him before and…” Steve bit down on his lip.

            “And what?” Bucky’s eyebrows were pressed together.

            “He… we went to some guys house and I guess he was gonna buy drugs or somethin’, but the guy threw him out the front door and his nose was bleedin’ real bad and he had a cut on his lip, too.”

            Bucky’s body stiffened. “What did the guy look like? Do you remember how to get to his house?”

            Steve shrugged because, “I didn’t get a good look at him. He was just some white guy.”

            “But do you remember how to get to his house?”

            Steve shrugged again. “No, I wasn’t really payin’ attention.”

            Bucky sighed and put a hand on his forehead. “I gotta go see Tony.”

            “You can’t.”

            “Why not?”

            “He asked me not to tell anyone and I told him I wouldn’t.”

            “Steve, he _knows_ you’re gonna tell me. He’s not an idiot. Where is he, I’m gonna go talk to him.”

            “I don’t know… I think he’s going home.”

            Bucky sighed and, “I’m gonna go to his house and see if you’re right. You comin’?”

            And Steve sighed this time, and he knew he should get to class but he also knew that Bucky was gonna have a hard time dealing with Tony and he knew it was going to upset Bucky so he should be there with Bucky, right? “Yeah, sure.”

            So Steve and Bucky left school and Bucky pulled up to Tony’s house and parked his car so that it blocked the driveway (that way, if Tony tried to leave and go somewhere else he’d have no choice but to walk, and if Tony had to walk Bucky would be able to walk to him because Tony wouldn’t really be able to get away from him).

            Bucky knocked on the front door a few times and then it swung open and, “Wh- Bucky?” and then Tony looked at Steve. “What’re you guys doin’ here?”

            Bucky pressed a palm to Tony’s chest and pushed him back into the house. “We gotta talk, Tony.” Tony was holding a few napkins underneath his nose because it was still bleeding.

            “Why?”

            “Because you got yourself thrown out of a drug dealer’s house. You were at a drug dealers place, right?”

            “Steve, you said you wouldn’t-“

            “Tony, shut up.” Tony shut his mouth instantly. “Whose house what it? What the _fuck_ happened to you, dude?”

            Tony sighed and sat down on the stairs that were right near the front door. “I… he was trying to rip me off. I wasn’t gonna pay _that_ much for a few pills.”

            “So what’d you do? Punch him or somethin’? Nobody is gonna lay a hand on you unless you touched them first.”

            “I… yeah. In the face.”

            Bucky groaned. “ _Who_ was it, Tony?”

            “He… Bucky-“

            “ _Who_?”

            “It doesn’t matter.”

            “ _Who_?”

            “I said it doesn’t matter.”

            “I’m getting real tired of repeating myself, Tony.” Bucky planted himself beside Tony on the step he was sitting on. “Who was it?”

            “Phil.”

            Bucky furrowed his eyebrows together. “Coulson?”

            Tony nodded. “Yeah.” And he pulled those napkins from under his nose because it finally stopped bleeding.

            Bucky sighed. “Tony, you can’t just punch a guy in the face ‘cause he’s tryna rip you off. What were you thinkin’?” Tony opened his mouth, but before he could get a word out Bucky said, “Don’t answer that, because you clearly weren’t fuckin’ thinking.” Tony shut his mouth. “I’ll be right back; you’ve got blood all over your face.”

            Bucky got up to go find a little hand towel he could soak so Tony could clean his face up, so Steve took his place beside Tony. “I’m sorry I told him… I couldn’t not tell him. He worries about you, ya know.”

            “What? He what?”

            “He worries about you, Tony.”

            “Why? Why the _fuck_ does he worry about me? There’s nothin’ to worry about.”

            “Tony… Tony, you’re drinkin’ all the time, way too fuckin’ much, and you’re doin’ drugs all the time and now you’re fuckin’ punchin’ drug dealers in the face and getting your ass kicked for it.”

            “He didn’t kick my ass.”

            “But he could’ve if he wanted to. You’re gonna get yourself hurt, Tony. You gotta chill out.”

            “I…” Tony shut his eyes for a second and breathed in deeply.

            “Tony, it hurts Bucky to see you act the way you do. It hurts everyone.”

            Tony let out a shaky breath and kept his eyes closed. He leaned his head on Steve’s shoulder and reached for one of his hands so he could squeeze it tight because, “I… I don’t mean to hurt anyone.”

            “I know, Tony. But you do… just take it easy.”

            “I… I can’t.” Bucky walked back into the room when Tony said that and,

            “You can’t what?”

            Tony’s eyes popped open and Bucky was already kneeling in front of him. “I… I can’t…”

            “Come here.” Bucky grabbed Tony by the collar of his shirt and tugged him from Steve, but Tony still squeezed Steve’s hand tight. Bucky started wiping at the blood on Tony’s face and neck with a little hand towel that he had wet with cold water.

            “I don’t mean to make you worry.” Bucky didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry I hurt you and everyone else. I… I don’t mean to.”

            Bucky shut his eyes for a second and froze before he opened them and continued to wipe the blood off Tony. When he finished, he tossed the hand towel aside and pulled Tony from the stairs, so Tony was basically forced to let go of Steve’s hand, and he slipped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. “Tony, ya gotta start bein’ careful. Okay?”

            Tony slipped his arms around Bucky and nuzzled his face against the crook of his shoulder and, “I… I don’t know how.”

            “Well for starters, don’t punch drug dealers in the face.”

            Bucky didn’t tell anyone he was going to see Paul. He didn’t tell Tony, and he didn’t tell Steve, he didn’t tell _anyone._ He knocked on his door gently and Paul swung the door open. “I didn’t know you were stopin’ by. What do ya need? Come inside.”

            Bucky stepped inside and, “I just got a few questions. Is that okay?”

            Paul shrugged. “Don’t waste my time, kid.” He plopped himself down on the worn out brown couch a few feet from the door. “Have a seat.”

            Bucky sat down beside Paul. “You know my friend… Tony?” Paul made a face but didn’t say anything. “You threw him out the front door, right? Gave him a real nice bloody nose, even cut his lip a bit. Remember?”

            “Look, kid-“

            “I wasn’t done talking.” Bucky grabbed Paul by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close to him.

            “Kid, if you don’t get your hand off me in-“

            “What made you think you could lay a fuckin’ hand on _my_ friend? You get off tryna rip off teenagers? You think layin’ your hands on them is _fun_?” Bucky’s fist met the side of Paul’s face. “You know you could get arrested for layin’ your hands on a minor, and for selling drugs to a minor, and for fucking havin’ all these drugs in your fuckin’ house? How stupid are you, keeping _all_ these fuckin’ drugs in your house? I could call the cops right now and have them come here and you’d be _fucked_.” Bucky’s fist me the side of Paul’s face again and then he stood up, dragging Paul with him.

            “Kid, you’re angry about your friend, but I’ll give you five minutes to get out before-“

            “Are ya gonna lay a hand on me too?” Bucky pushed Paul back. “Come on, hit me in the face.” Bucky tapped his cheekbone with his index finger. “Right here, gimme a nice bruise. Maybe split my lip open, too. Come on, Paul.”

            Paul curled his fingers into fists. “Kid, I’m-“

            “A pussy?”

            Paul’s fist met Bucky’s cheekbone and Bucky stumbled back a little, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He shoved Paul back and his fist collided with his mouth, and blood instantly met Paul’s tongue because his lip banged into his teeth and his teeth gave him a nice cut.

            “Kid-“

            “Kid, you keep callin’ me kid. I’m a kid, big deal.” Bucky punched Paul in the eye this time, then gripped him by the shoulders and pushed him back until his back hit the wall. “You’re a real fuckin’ piece of shit, ya know that?” Bucky kneed Paul right between the legs before throwing him onto the ground. “Touch my friend again, sell drugs to him again, fuckin’ _think_ about him again and I swear I’ll fuckin’ run you over with my truck.”

            Steve was tired but Bucky really wanted to see him, so Steve told Bucky to come by the group home (you know, so Steve didn’t have to actually move or anything and he could just stay curled up in his bed). Nick let Bucky in and Bucky made his way to Steve’s bedroom and, “Hey, baby.” (and that was a new name for Steve.)

            Bucky hopped onto Steve’s bed after kicking off his shoes and he pressed his lips to Steve’s cheeks and when he pulled back Steve furrowed his eyebrows and asked, “What happened to your face?”

            “Well that’s a real nice question to ask.”

            “Sorry. It’s all purple.” Steve reached up and grazed his fingers over Bucky’s cheek where it was in fact, all purple.

            “It’s nothin’.” Bucky flinched away from Steve’s touch.

            “Doesn’t look like nothin’.”

            “Well, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. I fell, that’s all.”

            Bucky started to crawl underneath Steve’s blanket. “You fell?”

            Bucky nodded. “Yeah.”

            “Where? What’d your face hit?”

            “I fell goin’ up the steps. You now those steps in my house are hard.”

            Steve sighed and, “You’re lying.”

            “No I’m not.”

            “Yeah, you are.”

            “No, I’m not.”

            Steve sighed again. “Whatever, Bucky.”

            And now Bucky sighed and, “I’m not lyin’.”

            “Yeah you are, but whatever. If you wanna keep somethin’ from me, go ahead.”

            “I’m… Stevie…” Bucky rolled his tongue over his teeth. “You’d get mad at me if I told ya what happened.”

            “What makes you think that?”

            “Because… Stevie…” Bucky sighed and, “I went to see that guy Paul. The one that tried to rip Tony off the other day.”

            “You _what_?”

            “See, I knew you’d get mad.”

            “I… I didn’t say I was mad.”

            “I can hear it in your voice.”

            “I… Bucky, what possessed you to go fuckin’ see Paul?”

            “He… he tried to rip off Tony and he fuckin’ hit him, and yeah Tony hit him first but that’s only because the guy was tryna rip him off. I just… All I did was punch him a few times… and knee him in the balls…”

            Steve let out this long dragging sigh. “Aren’t you the one that told Tony he can’t just punch this guy in the face?”

            Bucky shrugged. “Yeah but… Steve, Tony’s my friend, I couldn’t just do nothin’.”

            “Did… did he hit you anywhere else?”

            Bucky shook his head. “No, just the face, and that’s only ‘cause I egged him on and told him to.”

            “ _Bucky_.”

            “I’m fine, Steve! It doesn’t matter, because I’m fine! Don’t worry about it, I’m not gonna-go back there or anythin’, and don’t tell Tony. I’m not tellin’ Tony.”

            “So you beat this guy up, _for Tony_ , but you don’t want him to know?”

            “Exactly.” Bucky pressed his lips to Steve’s real quick. “He’s all fucked up in the head right now. He can’t stop thinkin’ about how he’s hurtin’ everyone and how everyone worries about him. Thor was tellin’ me about it last night. If I tell him, he’s just gonna keep tellin’ himself it’s his fault I got punched in the face. So don’t tell him, okay?”

            Steve sighed and, “Who woulda thought I’d make friends with a drug addicted alcoholic.”

            “ _Hey_ , he’s not a drug addict and he’s not an alcoholic.”

            “Bucky…”

            “He’s just got a little problem, but he’s neither of those things, so don’t go callin’ him-“

            “ _Alright_ , Bucky.”

            Bucky sighed and he slid himself closer to Steve so he could rest his head on his chest. Steve’s arms slipped around him and he pressed his lips to the top of Bucky’s head as Bucky let his eyes close. “How long can I stay?”

            Steve shrugged. “Until Nick tells you to go, I guess.”

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what ya think xx


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